A recent study from Southern Methodist University suggests that fully autonomous vehicles have the potential to reduce traffic delays in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by as much as 33 percent, without the need for new highway lanes.
This research was conducted by Khaled Abdelghany, a fellow at SMU's Stephanie and Hunter Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, in collaboration with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's travel forecasting program.
The study involved 25 experiments simulating regional traffic in 2045, examining scenarios with 100 percent, 50 percent, and 25 percent adoption of autonomous vehicles compared to a baseline with no such vehicles. The findings indicate that in a fully automated scenario, delays could decrease by up to 33 percent, and the time spent in congested traffic could drop by at least 19 percent.
The underlying reason for these improvements is that human drivers often create traffic jams due to inconsistent driving behaviors. According to Abdelghany, autonomous vehicles can help alleviate these issues through smoother and more coordinated driving patterns. In terms of traffic congestion, Dallas was ranked as the 17th most congested city in the U.S. in 2024, with drivers losing approximately 36 hours annually due to traffic.
Texas is already making strides in the realm of driverless technology, becoming a testing ground for autonomous freight operations. Aurora Innovation launched commercial driverless deliveries between Dallas and Houston in late April 2025, marking the first such service in the United States.
These trucks operate along the I-45 corridor, which is a significant route for truck freight in Texas, with plans to expand to additional routes.
Other companies, including Kodiak Robotics, Waymo Via, and Gatik, are also developing or deploying autonomous trucking services in Texas, solidifying the state's position as a leader in this sector.
On the passenger side, Waymo has been operating a paid robotaxi service in Austin and has recently expanded its services to select riders in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, with plans for broader availability by the end of the year.
While there are concerns about job displacement due to automation, the industry suggests that new roles will emerge. Positions such as technicians, remote operators, and staff for freight handling will still be necessary. Research estimates indicate that the autonomous vehicle sector could contribute approximately $70 billion to the U.S. GDP and create around 9 million jobs globally by 2030.
