Idea Week Shines on Dallas Bike Plan This Morning, with Second Annual Ride to City Hall

By Patrick Michels Fri., Oct. 15 2010 at 12:01 PM

Categories: City Hall

Photos by Patrick Michels

Tip o' the hat to DMN photographer Jim Mahoney, who first spotted the biker riding in high heels to City Hall. She said this is how everyone does it in Europe.

All the Idea Week fun that kicked off with a little "speed ideating" downtown on Monday (maybe next year we'll finally get that speed eating session) rolled along this morning with the second annual bike ride to City Hall, showcasing the latest draft of the Dallas Bike Plan, and spotlighting the plan's development as one of the most TED-worthy discussions taking place in the city today.

Biker gangs from places as far-flung as Plano, and as predictable as Oak Cliff, converged on Union Station a little after 8 a.m., before making the quick ride up to City Hall. Along for the ride were Oak Cliff council reps Dave Neumann and Delia Jasso, Jason Roberts and members of the committee behind the bike plan. Trinity Trust Foundation president Gail Thomas and a handful of Friends of the Trinity Strand joined in too.

Angela Hunt was there too and met everyone for some podium time in front of City Hall. She thanked her partner on the bike plan steering committee, Sheffie Kadane, and said she'd keep working to ensure the plan includes not only trails for bikes but on-street plans for bikes as well. "Within five years," she said, "we're going to have one of the best bike plans in the country."

"This is all about new urbanism," said Neumann, a guy who knows his audience. "This is all about reenergizing our city." He nodded to Roberts for his "passion, energy and his approach to make this work," adding excitedly that "it's private citizens who have an idea and keep going, and keep going, and keep going."

Jump for more shots of the ride.