Mayor Eric Johnson Allocates $75 Million for Dallas Innovation District Autonomous Transit and Smart Lighting

DALLAS — Mayor Eric Johnson and the Dallas City Council approved a $75 million municipal smart mobility capital funding contract on Monday, authorizing the City of Dallas Transportation Department to deploy a fleet of twelve zero-emission autonomous electric passenger shuttles, install 10,000 connected smart LED streetlights, and establish high-speed municipal Wi-Fi kiosks across the Dallas Innovation District in the West End and Pegasus Park.

The project connects biotech research labs, university incubators, and residential lofts to DART rail transit stations, providing free, on-demand autonomous first-and-last-mile passenger transit along dedicated sensor-equipped transit lanes.

Cementing Dallas as a Premier Global Hub for Innovation and Clean Mobility Dallas has rapidly expanded as a leading destination for biotechnology, defense technology, and clean tech corporate headquarters, where seamless autonomous transit and connected smart streetscapes foster vibrant urban collaboration.

"Dallas is leading the nation in adopting cutting-edge technology to make our city safer, cleaner, and more vibrant," Mayor Eric Johnson said at Pegasus Park in Dallas. "By investing $75 million in autonomous electric transit shuttles and smart connected lighting, we are modernizing our urban core, connecting our innovation hubs with public transit, and showing the world that Dallas is the best place to build the future."

Smart City Technology Packages The $75 million package finances:

• 12 Autonomous Electric Passenger Shuttles: Equipped with LiDAR, radar, and 360-degree cameras operating on 5-minute headways along a 4-mile loop.
• 10,000 Connected Smart LED Streetlights: Dimming automatically during low-traffic hours to conserve energy while brightening instantly when pedestrians or emergency vehicles approach.
• Municipal High-Speed Environmental Telemetry Kiosks: Providing free public gigabit Wi-Fi and real-time air quality monitors at 50 transit shelters.

Tech startup founders, urban mobility experts, and downtown business associations praised the municipal council's investment, noting that autonomous shuttles provide clean, convenient mobility for workers and residents.