# TxDOT Launches New Survey Asking North Texans to Sound Off on Frustrating Roadways
Drivers across North Texas are being given a direct line to the state agency responsible for the region’s highways, as the Texas Department of Transportation rolls out a fresh push for public feedback on what’s making daily commutes miserable. The initiative, dubbed “Talk Traffic to Me,” invites residents to weigh in on congestion, safety concerns and infrastructure gaps that have long plagued some of the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s busiest corridors.
## A Chance to Shape Decades of Road Planning
For millions of North Texans, sitting in gridlock has become a daily ritual, whether it’s bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-35, delays on US 75, or bottlenecks near the region’s rapidly expanding suburbs. Now, TxDOT is asking those same drivers to put their frustrations into words — and potentially influence how the state addresses them for a generation to come.
The effort centers on an online survey tied to a broader, long-term study of major Texas corridors. ,For many North Texans, I-35 is part of daily life — the road to work, school, home and just about everywhere in between, and now the Texas Department of Transportation wants drivers across the state to help shape what that roadway looks like for decades to come.,
,TxDOT has launched a new public survey as part of a long-term study of the I-35 corridor, a stretch it calls the “Main Street of Texas.”, The designation isn’t just marketing hyperbole — ,the highway runs from the Mexican border to the Red River, serving roughly half of the state’s population along the way., That reach makes it one of the most consequential stretches of pavement in Texas, and one where even minor tweaks can ripple across commutes, freight schedules and regional economies.
## Why Officials Say Your Voice Matters Now
Transportation planners insist this isn’t a symbolic gesture. ,As Texas continues to grow, transportation officials say they’re looking ahead, and the I-35 Corridor Study is focused on understanding how people use the roadway today and how it needs to evolve in the future., The stakes are significant, given how central the interstate has become to the state’s expansion. ,The highway connects major cities, military bases, tourism destinations, state parks and countless communities in between — including some of the fastest-growing areas in North Texas.,
According to the agency, the survey results won’t just gather complaints for the sake of it. ,The goal is to address both current and long-term mobility challenges, identify opportunities to improve transportation options, and better support urban, rural and border communities that depend on the corridor., Officials say the feedback will feed directly into policy and funding decisions moving forward. ,Planners will use public feedback to help guide decisions related to congestion, safety, freight movement and connectivity along I-35.,
Perhaps most notably for residents skeptical that a single survey can change anything, TxDOT says the scope of this study is unusually long-term. ,The study is expected to influence transportation planning and potential improvements on the interstate for the next 25 years., That kind of horizon means input gathered today could shape everything from new lane configurations to safety upgrades well into the 2050s.
## Part of a Larger Statewide Data Push
The “Talk Traffic to Me” survey arrives alongside other ongoing TxDOT data-collection efforts already underway in North Texas. The agency has partnered with the North Central Texas Council of Governments to conduct broader travel pattern surveys across the region, gathering details on how households move throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex during a typical day. Officials say these household-level surveys, which ask participants to log trips over a 24-hour period, help transportation planners understand real-world commuting habits rather than relying solely on traffic counts and modeling.
TxDOT has emphasized that participation is voluntary and that personal data collected through these surveys is not sold or shared beyond the agency and its planning partners. For commuters who’ve spent years venting about potholes, chokepoints and confusing merge lanes with little sense that anyone was listening, the new outreach represents a rare opportunity for direct input into the decision-making process.
## How to Get Involved
TxDOT is encouraging residents throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area to take a few minutes to complete the online survey, which is designed to capture specific concerns about safety, congestion and connectivity along major corridors like I-35. The agency has framed the effort as a chance for everyday drivers — not just engineers and planners — to have a hand in determining how North Texas roads evolve over the next quarter-century.
As the region continues its rapid population growth, officials say public participation will be critical in ensuring that future infrastructure investments actually reflect the needs of the communities they’re meant to serve. For North Texans tired of watching brake lights stretch for miles during rush hour, this survey may be one of the more tangible ways to make that frustration count.