Just about every four minutes there’s someone new coming to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That’s according to a new analysis of Census Bureau Data which shows DFW is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the Nation. The new numbers are a cause for celebration; they’re also a call for preparation.
In the year leading up to July 2012, the Dallas-Fort Worth area had the largest population increase in the nation. Nearly 132,000 people. Michael Eastland is Executive Director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments. He says the rapid expansion raises concerns about the area’s lack of public transportation.
"We know that there are several more transit lines which can be justified, its just are we going to have the money," Eastland says. Funding can't just come from the Federal government, Eastland says it has to also come from the cities through which the transit lines would run. Extending transit into Collin County cities such as Allen, Frisco and McKinney is a priority.
Another priority is making sure there’s enough water available for the growing population. Right now, Eastland says we’re at least a third short .
"It's probably impossible to build enough new lakes, to solve it, it’s going to take a conversation effort and a change of lifestyle for a lot of people," he says.
Sometimes, being number one isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
