Dallas Is Pedaling Toward a New Citywide Bike Plan

The city of Dallas has a Bike Plan—but it was written in 2011. Now, after creating 67 miles of bike lanes across the city, Dallas is working on an updated bicycle master plan that lays out future bike and roadway improvement needs.

“We want to build connected bicycle routes that help you safely get from your home to your work, school, parks, and other destinations,” the city said in a statement.

Plans include an updated Bicycle Network Map, updated design standards for bicycle facilities, and a phased implementation roadmap that identifies “quick win” priorities.

Downtown Dallas Inc. wants more bikes in the city center

Downtown Dallas Inc. supports the move and advocates for an “enhanced bicycle network” in the city center—the 2.5-mile area in and around downtown.

As of 2017, there were 5.4 miles of dedicated bicycle lanes and 12 miles of shared lanes in the city center. DDI’s strategic “360 Plan” called for an additional 30 miles of bicycle facilities – identified as “priority bike improvements”—to be constructed in the area.

The LOOP is uniting neighborhoods with urban trails

When completed, The Loop will circle around central Dallas, connecting Southern Dallas with many attractions including Uptown, Deep Ellum, and White Rock Lake. [Image: The Loop]

One of Dallas’ biggest programs for increasing bike use is The LOOP, a 50-mile urban bike trail with a goal of uniting neighborhoods around much of the city’s core. In November 2021, The Loop attracted a $12 million federal RAISE grant toward building its Trinity Forest Spine Trail South Phase. And Oncor donated an entire lake and its surrounding land to help complete the project.

“As we look forward to our city’s future, what is clear is that trails are vital to the people of Dallas,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said last year. “The LOOP isn’t some vanity project, or just an economic development play, or just a feel-good amenity for our neighborhoods. Trails are more to us than a nice-to-have perk. A strong and viable trail system must be considered critical infrastructure for a 21st century city. This grant is reflective of that fact, and we’re thrilled to have federal support as we continue building a more vibrant Dallas.”

Bottom line? Get ready to gear up for a more bike-friendly city.

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