What happened
Dallas Transportation Director Gus Khankarli briefed City Council members on an update to the plan’s progress during their Nov. 1 meeting. Originally created in 1985 and updated in 2011, the Dallas Bike Plan needs a refreshed update to account for zoning and land use changes in the last 12 years, Khankarli said.
City planners have four main objectives in updating the plan, according to City Council documents:
- Update the city’s map of the bike network, including on- and off-street bike lanes
- Update the design standards for bike facilities or develop new standards
- Develop a list of prioritized projects and provide detailed guidance on how to implement the top 15 projects
- Educate Dallas residents about the mobility option of cycling and ensure equity
City planners are recommending the city’s bike network include 536 miles of new or improved bike lanes and trails. This would include:
- 175 miles of bike boulevards
- 140 miles of “visually separated” bike lanes, meaning they are separated from car traffic with painted lanes
- 91 miles of physically separated bike lanes
- 130 miles of bike trails
While gathering community input from summer 2022 to summer 2023, city planners found 87% of residents who participated in a city survey support bike-friendly policy changes. The survey, which had 3,182 participants, found more than 60% mentioned conflicts with cars, fears for their safety and lack of access to bike facilities as barriers to biking in Dallas, according to City Council documents.
What’s next
The final updated Dallas Bike Plan could be adopted by early 2024. It will be subject to changes from City Council.
