Locals know that Dallas traffic is bad — and only seems to be getting worse. At the recent Uber Elevate Summit in Dallas, the company introduced a new plan to explore flying taxis. Dallas will be the first U.S. city to test the technology, which will also be tested in Dubai. Flying cars may have seemed like a space-age idea, but it could be a reality as soon as 2020 if all goes well. 

Uber Elevate is a planned network of on-demand flying cars, more accurately called vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircrafts. The idea of flying cars is gaining a lot of traction in Silicon Valley, with more than a dozen start-ups currently exploring their feasibility. 

The technology poses many significant safety concerns, including air traffic management and noise pollution. Uber says they will resolve all safety issues before they begin testing the technology in 2020. They expect the technology to be certified and implemented by 2023.

Photo via Uber

Uber is working with city officials and experts at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Love Field, and Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The company is also working with five companies to develop the aircraft, including Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter. 

Dallas was chosen as the first city to test on-demand flying aircraft because of the region’s long history as an aviation center. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Bell Helicopter are all based in the area. Dallas also has a high percentage of pilots in the population.

The project also has the support and involvement of many experts, including Ross Perot, Jr., the chairman of Hillwood, a Dallas-Fort Worth real estate developer. Hillwood will build “vertiports” for the aircraft, planned near densely populated centers in both Dallas and Arlington.

Uber faces more hurdles in the U.S. than in Dubai, the latter of which is already working with a Chinese drone maker on a flying taxi project unrelated to Uber. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration does not currently have design standards in place for the software and hardware used in these vehicles. In addition to addressing regulatory challenges, Uber must resolve concerns such as the need for lighter, longer-lasting batteries.