ridethepanther

Per the linked thread below, they have apparently re-thought this.

https://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/sh...5&page=2&pp=50

pmsummer

The City of Dallas is spending the $3 million that was going to toward the overpass (now canceled) and extend the trail east to Parry and west to the Baylor/Deep Ellum DART station.

The overpass was canceled because $4 million (the City's $3 million, plus Edie Bernice Johnson's Federally Earmarked almost $1 million) wasn't enough to build the structure in a way that any sane person would ever use (imagine an almost half-mile long, fully caged habi-trail with multiple blind swithbacks, and no way out). The Federal money was not reprogrammable, but the City money was.

DART reserved the right of way for the west trail, and agreed to shift a few little things for the east leg.

pmsummer

Have you ever really ridden the Dallas bike route system? AT LEAST 350 miles of low volume, bicycle friendly streets, with about 50 miles of arterials and thoroughfares. That's superior cycling to any bile lane system in Texas, as any vehicular cyclist will tell you. It sounds to me like you want to ride your bike on the same streets you drive your car on. I recommend moving one or two streets over, to a more bike-friendly street.

Why should a thoroughfare be designated a park facility? That's the situation with Mockingbird. Cyclists are using a major thoroughfare with 2200 cars per hour in the peak hours as a recreational facility, a use for which it has never been compatible. Just because you were comfortable with dangers doesn't make them go away. Playgrounds (trails) and streets do not mix well.

On the south end of the lake, what do you do? Do you use the horrible trail and same-width bridge? Or do you use Garland Road? Do you come to a full stop at the bottom of East Lawther below Boy Scout Hill? Do you come to a full stop at Winstead where the trail enters?

These are real matters, and very serious matters. So far, far too many cyclists at WR Lake have shown no interest on obeying traffic laws, but want special traffic provisions for themselves (the same group). It's not a winning argument.

The City has not done a good job promoting bicycle transportation (no program funding for over 10 years), the schools have shown no interest in education (even when it was handed to them on a silver platter), and politicians come and go with one mandate: keep our taxes low.

pedaljeeps

Here is an article from Saturday about the cyclist that was hit on the Mockingbird bridge about safety:

https://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.4d78d97.html


PM summer....

OK, you have assumed a lot about my riding that is not accurate… First I hardly ever ride my bike across the Mockingbird Bridge, I use the ‘pedestrian’ bridge, and yes I slow way down. And also I usually use the trial down by the spillway instead of Winstead. I only ride on Garland road when crossing over to get to Forest Hills. I stop at all red lights and have never received a ticket for running any stop signs… since the Dallas police seem to target bicycles running stop signs more than the other more serious ‘crime’ that occurs at the lake. BTW… if I see a cyclist riding dangerously or running red lights, I generally try and say something to stop them from being dangerous.

Also I have ridden all over Dallas, usually on Saturday or Sunday mornings, when the volume of traffic is low, following many of the bike routes. I don’t commute and there are several reasons why…. And for the most part I agree with you about the Dallas grid system… it is just the lack knowledge or visibility about the entire bike route system… and Dallas has failed horribly in the promotion of any form of cycling in Dallas.

And I don’t think wanting a lane on the Mockingbird Bridge is asking too much. Please, cars have everything here, everything is catered for vehicles in Dallas… To ask to have a painted white stripe of 75 yards, painted bicycles and a few signs for more visibility is hardly making the streets a ‘playground’ or causing any traffic jams. If there were a lane across Mockingbird it would take some of the traffic off the ‘pedestrian’ bridge, where ‘pedestrians’ should be and not bicycles going any speed. If a lane was added, I would use the lane, and yes I know a car could cross a white stripe, but at least cyclist would become more visible.

Now I do admit to using my bicycle for fitness at WRL… so I guess that makes me a criminal, so be it, I love riding at the lake for exercise… And so do many others who use the lake for exercise….I was walking my dog yesterday at the lake and it was fun to see all the faces of the many cyclist, pushing themselves, all different speeds and levels, from slow to fast, exercising, what a bunch of criminals, in fact WRL is full of exercise criminals, “gasp” …… IMO one can exercise on a bicycle safely at WRL, I do it all the time and see it done all the time and I have seen very few accidents at the lake in my many years of riding there.

But I guess if you get your way, WRL will just be for picnics and bicycles going less than 10 mph, and the Dallas police will soon weed out all of the exercises criminals…. that will be a real shame. And if that happens I’ll be looking for another city to live in, a city that is on the list for good cycling cities, one that is on the healthy list and not on all those obese and unhealthy lists, and bad cycling lists like Dallas is on, where the Car is king. Of course, I know you don’t agree with ALL of those lists, you see it different.

soccercyclist

I would love to see a bike lane going across the Mockingbird bridge! I think it is really necessary and would add to the splendor of the lake.

I don't see any traffic problems going down to 2 lanes for the cars, in fact it already goes down to 2 lanes before the lake, but goes back out to 3 lanes just before the lake... and there are no problems with cars funneling into two lanes.

MMACH 5

I'm not a recreational rider and I don't ride for fitness. Heck, I smoke and drink coffee while riding and then have SPAM and rice for lunch. My bike gets me to work and back, (45-50 miles, round trip). My weekend rides consist of runs to the grocery store and tooling around the neighborhood with my daughters.

I rode the Mockingbird bridge back when there was a bike lane and continue to this day. I'm not usually riding the WR MUP--Mockingbird is simply a way to get from one side of the lake to the other. As a vehicular cyclist, the lack of a bike lane has had no effect on my commute. In fact, there were times, when the bike lane was still there that drivers were confused with my going straight to get up the hill.

However, I can see how an inexperienced cyclist could find some comfort in having a lane "all to themselves." This might be a false sense of security, but it at least shows an attempt on the city's part to accommodate and encourage cycling.

I guess my point is that I can really see both sides of this issue. I wouldn't go as far as some cycling advocates that say bike lanes are just one more step toward getting bicycles off the streets. At the same time, I don't see them as the be-all, end-all in making cyclists safer on our car-crowded roads.

pedaljeeps

I agree as I’ve said before that adding a bike lane won’t necessarily make it safer on Mockingbird, but it will add much needed visibility…. And the pickup that hit Paul Verde was going around another car to pass…. Just maybe had there been lines and paint on the ground he would have not gone into that far right lane to pass?? Anyway I bet the driver of that pickup would have liked to have had a little more info about that area of the lake…

Good for you for commuting…. I should, I’m only about 7 miles one-way with a pretty safe route, just one sketchy area. My main reason for not doing it is having to dress up and no showers… and also I have to use the car for work sometimes. I do use my bike on the weekend go run around… I wish some of the businesses would add a few places to park a bike!

I wish the City would do just a little education, as I’m seeing pretty experienced riders using the bike for transportation on busy roads like Gaston, Garland rd., and Grand when all they need to do is just go over to a less busy street, but they probably don’t know…