Stop-and-Go Frustration Grows On Benbrook’s 377.

If it feels like driving a mile through Benbrook takes as long as crossing a continent, you’re not alone, and you’re probably still sitting at a red light while reading this.

Residents along U.S. 377 are speaking up about what many describe as a daily crawl through town, with some drivers reporting it can take 10 to 30 minutes to inch between I-20 and RM 2871 during rush hour. That’s roughly the same amount of time it takes to watch three TikToks, make a grocery list, and contemplate your life choices.

Much of the blame, neighbors say, falls on the string of traffic lights that seem to work against, rather than with, the flow of cars. Instead of a coordinated green wave that lets traffic cruise through, drivers describe hitting one red light after another. It’s a stop-and-go rhythm that feels less like commuting and more like playing the world’s most frustrating game of Red Light, Green Light. Wanna play a round as you sit and wait? 🤣 I kid…

Nonetheless, some longtime residents remember when there was only one signal at 377 and Mercedes. Now, as new development sprouts up—including apartments, restaurants, and a Crunch Fitness gym near Walmart—many wonder how the road will handle even more traffic without turning into a parking lot with occasional forward momentum.

Here’s where it gets tricky: U.S. 377 is controlled by the Texas Department of Transportation, not the City of Benbrook. That means local leaders can’t just flip a switch and fix the signal timing, no matter how much they (or you) might want to.

The question residents are asking is whether city officials have formally pressed TxDOT for improvements—better signal coordination, turning lanes, anything—and what responses, if any, have made their way back to the public. It’s the kind of bureaucratic tango that leaves drivers stuck in the middle, literally and figuratively.

For now, some locals have become armchair traffic engineers, plotting back-road escape routes through neighborhoods to avoid the 377 gauntlet. Others resign themselves to leaving 15 minutes earlier and treating their commute like a patience-building exercise.

With more growth on the horizon and no clear relief in sight, many Benbrook drivers are hoping the city and TxDOT can work together on a plan that actually gets traffic moving again—instead of stopping at every single light like the world’s least efficient conga line.

Until then? Deep breaths, good playlists, and maybe a podcast or two. You’ve got time.