City staff are working to finalize a new plan for bicycles, bike paths, and other bike-related services throughout Dallas.
The Dallas Bikeway System provides a guide to the network of bike paths in Dallas. However, the network has not been updated since the City’s 2011 Dallas Bike Plan. However, the main page has a link to learn about the 2023 Bike Plan update.
“A lot has changed since then,” the City notes, referring to its 2011 Dallas Bike Plan. “We want to build connected bicycle routes that help you safely get from your home to your work, school, parks, and other destinations.”
The Bikeway System website says the City will have a “new bicycle master plan that lays out future bicycle and roadway improvements” by Summer 2023. However, the summer has come and gone, and the plan is not yet finalized.
Department of Transportation director Ghassan Khankarli and chief planner Kathryn Rush will brief the city council on the status of Dallas Bike Plan 2023 this Wednesday.
The new Bike Plan aims to update its inventory of the entire bike network across the city and recommend ideal improvements to bicycle infrastructure in Dallas, focusing on comfortable routes and improved connections between popular destinations.
Furthermore, staff are working to update the design standards for bicycle facilities, create an implementation plan that identifies “quick win” priorities, inform residents about the Dallas Bike System, and “ensure equity” in the project.
Updating the existing bike network will require analyzing existing facilities, the safety of existing bike routes, and the demand for additional bike-related services.
Staff are recommending an update to the design of bike paths on boulevards to improve traffic flow.
Staff also have a series of policies they are recommending to the council, including the following:
- The target demographic for future bike facilities should be someone “interested but concerned” about riding bikes in Dallas.
- A bicycle route should not be implemented on a road with speeds greater than 25 mph or more than 3,000 vehicles per day.
- The City should use the 311 system to allow users of bike services to report problems or other concerns.
- The City should develop dedicated funding strategies for bike projects to leverage money from the General Fund.
Staff also say the Bike Plan must be flexible and able to be changed to accommodate future developments and changes in circumstances such as land use and condition of existing facilities.
The Dallas City Council is expected to adopt the new Bike Plan by early 2024.
Council members will be briefed on the plan this Wednesday. The presentation that will be delivered to the council members can be found here.
