‘More roads!’ Fort Worth folks react to the city now having 1 million people
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Fort Worth hits 1 million
Fort Worth is now home to 1 million people, just one of 13 U.S. cities to ever cross the threshold, according to census figures released Thursday. Here’s everything you need to know about Cowtown’s new spot as the 11th largest city in the U.S.
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Our Star-Telegram readers are weighing in on the news that Fort Worth is now a city of 1 million people, and we’re already seeing some common themes — including the need for better roads, public transit, smarter development and a bit of an attitude adjustment more fitting for a major city like ours.
You can weigh in, too. Just use the form that’s at the bottom of this story to tell us what you think Fort Worth still needs the most, now that we’re in the 1 million club.
We also want to know whether you think 1 million is a big deal or just a number. A reader named Justin sums up his thoughts this way:
“The best feature of living in Fort Worth is that no matter how big we get, we interact with neighbors, friends, and strangers with a small town warmth that is rare.”
Amen to that.
We will continue to update this story with more of your comments as you send them in.
Fort Worth’s needs better roads & smarter development
Few things aggravate Fort Worth folks more than bad roads and traffic.
Several readers say a fast-growing city like ours needs to be be smarter about development, making sure that things like adequate roads are in place before allowing big new subdivisions. (We’re looking at you, Bonds Ranch Road.)
“No new housing developments built before the infrastructure is completed to accommodate increased traffic forecast,” says Robbie McClurkan, who thinks that our relatively affordable housing prices are a big draw, compared to other major cities.
So much of our growth is on the outward fringes, like far north Fort Worth, where old country roads can’t handle all our suburban SUVs.
We need “limitations on residential development in areas where the roadway network are rural, two-lane roads that cannot carry the increased traffic volume,” suggests a reader named Julie.
Paul Nelson says he’s been here 45 years and doesn’t care much for all this growth, thank you very much. “Way too many people for my liking,” he says, adding that city planners should “control growth” that contributes to “big traffic problems for existing residents. Build the infrastructure along with the developments, not way after.”
And the roads we already have need fixing, according to Janet Kasper, who mentions Fort Worth’s notorious potholes. “Fort Worth is a great place to live! Just need infrastructure to keep up.”
Gina McEuen isn’t a fan of those new bike lanes like on West Seventh Street. “Eliminate the bike lanes and open those roads back up to 2+ lanes,” she says.
Fort Worth is a big city. We should act like it.
Interestingly, many of our readers’ comment on how they think Fort Worth isn’t asserting itself on the national stage like a city of 1 million people should.
Gary Todd is one of them, saying we need “more confidence with a more aggressive attitude,” along with vision that mirrors the phrase, “If we build it, they will come.”
“We are BIGGER THAN BOSTON (and several other major-league markets),” Todd says. “And we should step out of the shadow of Dallas, with more confidence in unique attributes we have to offer — a fresh Western culture.”
John Kent puts it bluntly:
“Fort Worth needs to start acting like the major city it has become. We need to think big,” he says. “We need to recruit and encourage, through city policies, those risk-takers who will push downtown development to a level worthy of a city of 1 million — think iconic architecture like Seattle’s Space Needle or Dallas’ Reunion Tower.”
To that end, Kent says, we need to market ourselves better.
“Fort Worth needs to start fighting hard against its own anonymity. After all these years, we are still obscured by the long shadow of Dallas. To emerge from this obscurity will require much, much larger investments in marketing than we currently allow. We have a lot to crow about. Time to start crowing.”
Speaking of Dallas, Charles Edward Cochran also points to our skyline, which hasn’t changed substantially in many years.
“A couple more skyscrapers to make downtown not look so snaggletooth,” he suggests. Oh, and a professional sports team, too.
“It needs to be in Fort Worth, not in Dallas or some Dallas suburb.”
Public transit in Fort Worth
Here’s another topic that comes up repeatedly from readers: The need for more public transportation in Fort Worth, including expanded rail service.
No offense to Molly the Trolley (whose days are numbered, by the way.)
Fort Worth “needs to be more walkable, with better modes of public transportation,” says a reader named Chelsea, echoing what several others also mentioned.
“The Molly is great,” Chelsea says, “but after returning from DC where electric scooters and e-bikes essentially replace the need for Lyfts and Ubers for short distances, I feel Fort Worth could benefit to help locals and residents get from say, downtown to the Stockyards.”
(Trinity Metro’s Orange Line is a dedicated bus route from downtown to the Stockyards that has seen ridership on the rise.)
Chelsea thinks it’s a big deal that Fort Worth hit 1 million population.
“And I credit city government for making strides and listening to the people,” she says. “They provide public safety with what they need to keep us safe. The unity is felt. We just need to keep striving forward together and help everyone.”
Fort Worth needs more public swimming pools
That’s the suggestion of James Steffensen, who believes Fort Worth reached an “impressive milestone” with 1 million people.
“The scarcity of indoor and outdoor swimming pools for the general public in Fort Worth is a major problem,” he says. “When compared to other large cities in the U.S., Fort Worth’s severe shortage of indoor and outdoor swimming pools is hampering its reputation as a great city to live and work in.
“Construction of an indoor aquatics center serving the general public should be a top priority for Fort Worth,” he says.
So, what do you think?
Share your thoughts using this form below, and check back as we update this story.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 3:36 PM.
