Medrano and Jasso Bike Spain!

By Robert Wilonsky Thu., Mar. 24 2011 at 10:02 AM

Delia Jasso via BFOC

The city's bike coordinator, Max Kalhammer, renting a bike in Spain

Over on Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, council member Delia Jasso's recapping her spring break trip to Spain, where she and Pauline Medrano want to ride their bicycles, want to ride their bikes, want to ride their bicycles, want to ride them where they like -- Seville, specifically. That's where the Velo-City confab's taking place, and the council members -- along with Dallas Bike Coordinator Max Kalhammer and other members of the Dallas delegation -- have gone abroad to see how we can do here what they do there. (City officials say this morning that the trip is being funded with a grant from Active Transportation Alliance, which ponied up grants nationwide to take "Latino elected officials to Spain to study biking and trails.")

For the most part, Jasso's sending photos, like the one you see here. Here's another of a Spanish bridge with bike-n-hike paths; BFOC points out that "the Calatrava bridge in Dallas has no bike facilities added." But today's does sneak peak something Jasso has in mind:

I have great information to bring back and share with everyone. The Dallas delegation is already talking about a cyclovia in Dallas and a potential route. See you all soon!

For those wondering, a ciclovía involves shutting down streets -- either permanently or, usually, temporarily -- to vehicular traffic in order to make way for cyclists. They started in Colombia but have become popular throughout the States. Hey, what's good enough for Cleveland, El Paso and L.A. ...

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urban cowboy

I have no idea why Dallas is wasting time and money trying to add bike lanes and bike rentals....This will NEVER work in Dallas because we are the only major city in this country w/ a bike helmet law and the only city in TX that requires a helmet for all ages...those paths will not be used to capacity like other major cities because the helmet law and the bike rentals will never work unless they come w/ the helmet which no city in the world does..I use to ride in downtown and uptown w/ my friends every weekend but after a $75.00 ticket we stick to the surrounding cities that have no such law....

You can get a helmet for less than $75. They weigh next-to-nothing. Many people wear them voluntarily -- because they're not stupid.

Sam851

Price is not the issue. Most people just don't want to be bothered and don't want to look stupid. That's why you only see the most avid bikers out there on the mostly little used lanes that currently exist.

The casual occasional bicyclist is not going to engage simply due to the inconvenience and even most avid cyclist don't carry around their helmet with them every where they go just on the off chance they might find a bike other than their own to ride that day.

So Urban Cowboy is right. It is a stupid ordinance and the bike lanes and rentals are only feasable at a park, the rest is a waste of money.

I have two 10 speed bikes that I have not ridden since the law passed. They just sit in the garage nowadays gathering dust. I have no helmet and no inclination to go get one at any price. It's just silly. Ever heard of overkill?

Bigjondaniel

By The way - the Summer temperature is as hot in Sevilla as it is in Dallas

Downtowner

So they must have quite the network of TÚNELES.

Downtowner

Maybe these ciclovias could be part of the solution to Katy Trail overcrowding or at least something fun to do until the Bike Plan, complete streets, Continental Bridge, Trinity Strand, etc., are in place.

Robert Wilonsky

I think that, in large part, may be the plan -- and coincidentally, the first Complete Streets meeting took place this morning at Dallas City Hall.

Downtowner

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing what was discussed at this meeting.

Wylie H.

I've seen extremely popular weekly ciclovias in Rio de Janiero, Jakarta and Medellin, Colombia.

G_David

Not sure what either of them look like, so I have no idea if fat-bottomed girls will be riding today....

ChrisU

I was trying to put it more politely, but guess someone had to go there.

G_David

Sorry, subtlety isn't my strong suit.

tracker

Did we pay for this? Max is riding around in Spain. Why haven't I ever seen him riding around in Dallas, on the makeshift dirt paths and broken pavement trails littered with dirty diapers that cyclists in Dallas use daily? Before we spend dollars on glossy brochures and trips abroad, we need a commitment to reality.

Thelisma Partridge

Cyclists in Dallas use diapers when riding? I guess those spandex shorts hide more than I imagined...

Lee Crandell

@tracker You didn't pay for this -- it was funded by grants through a non-profit in Chicago. These trips are valuable to get elected officials to understand why that commitment to reality is valuable. We can complain about biking conditions all we want, but if our elected leaders don't understand, it won't matter. I'm looking forward to aldermen in Chicago returning more inspired by what's possible with cycling and more ready to invest in better cycling infrastructure.