DALLAS — Deep Ellum is preparing for summer crowds, and that means the return of its "flow zones" for Uber, Lyft and other rideshare pickups.
Earlier this month, Deep Ellum announced flow zones are returning this weekend and will be in place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
These designated rideshare zones have been in effect on and off for several years, dating back to 2019. Here are this year's zones, according to the Deep Ellum Foundation:
- Commerce Street: Near Pryor Street and Malcolm X Boulevard
- Malcolm X Boulevard: Between Elm Street and July Alley
- Swiss Avenue: Between North Hawkins Street and North Good Latimer Expressway
- Floyd Street: Between North Good Latimer Expressway and Cantegral Street
- North Good Latimer Expressway: Between Commerce and Main streets
Guards will be stationed at each zone to make sure traffic can flow safely. The zones are aimed helping improve traffic flow and congestion in the busy entertainment district during high-traffic nightlife hours.
Deep Ellum is also encouraging visitors to use its two main parking garages and lots, which account for more than 1,000 combined spaces and charge $2 per hour.
The neighborhood -- which boasts more than 100 bars and restaurants, including more than 30 live music venues -- has been ramping up safety and crowd control efforts in recent months.
A shooting on Elm Street left two people injured in April. Following that incident, police began temporarily closing sections of certain roads to traffic, including Main Street and Elm Street.
According to the Dallas Police Department and the Deep Ellum Foundation, those closures were aimed at improving safety for pedestrians.