Dallas to pilot open‑streets program before FIFA; staff proposes trailer of barricades to cut in‑kind costs

Dallas Convention and Event Services on April 21 outlined a planned pilot of periodic weekend street closures — commonly known as "open streets" — and asked the Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee for support to test the program ahead of the FIFA events expected in the city.

The department said open streets will convert vehicle space to pedestrian plazas during times of reduced traffic to boost walkability, shoppers and downtown activations. Staff proposed a pilot program with partner organizations such as Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI) and Visit Dallas and recommended purchasing durable barriers and a trailer to store and deploy equipment.

"The concept of open streets is pretty simple. We're taking advantage of weakened traffic numbers. The city would take space usually used by cars and trucks, and we're giving it over to pedestrians, creating a plaza like atmosphere," Jacqueline Justice, assistant director of Convention and Event Services, said during the presentation.

Program design and safety requirements Staff said the pilot will include a landing page for permit information, a streamlined permit process for pilot activations, and a formal public‑safety review of traffic‑control plans by CES OSC in coordination with Dallas Police Department and Transportation and Public Works. Because of recent incidents nationwide involving vehicles entering pedestrian closures, staff recommended the use of "hard barricades" — water‑filled jersey barriers, police vehicles or planters — rather than lightweight cones.

To ease recurring operational burdens, staff proposed acquiring a trailer or vehicle that would hold no‑parking signs, hard barriers and other materials needed to activate open streets. The department estimated an up‑front cost between $10,000 and $15,000 for jersey barricades and related gear and forecast that owning the trailer could save roughly $30,000 or more in per‑event in‑kind departmental costs over time.

"Implementing this solution would simplify our permit requirements and make it easier to activate an open street," Justice said. "We'd like to pilot this prior to FIFA to make sure that we get it right as FIFA approaches."

Evaluation and partnerships Staff said they will gather participant feedback through surveys, hold internal after‑action meetings and coordinate with partners such as DDI and Visit Dallas to test the model. The department also noted that in some cases CES OSC would be the applicant and in other cases a partner organization would take the lead; in all cases a traffic control plan and public‑safety review would be required.

Council response Committee members broadly supported testing the model and asked staff to plan for post‑FIFA continuation if pilots succeed. Councilmember Willis said she was "excited" about bringing open streets to her district; other members asked staff to consider vendor opportunities and equitable access across council districts.

Ending: Staff will pilot open‑streets activations with partners, acquire or lease equipment as needed and return to the committee with evaluation results and proposed implementation steps for FIFA and future events.