DALLAS -
Roads aren't just for cars, they're for all people trying to get around town.
That message was delivered on two wheels today by the Dallas City Council and other fellow bicyclists.
In celebration of newly designated bike lanes in downtown Dallas, Mayor Mike Rawlings and several other city officials rode from Main Street Gardens to Dallas City Hall.
Several new streets are sporting marked-off lanes for cyclists, something many bikers have been requesting for years.
Rawlings explained one of the charms of living in a big city like Dallas is its diverse population.
"I think the new cities in the twenty-first century have diverse people and need diverse modes of transportation - between mass transit, walking, cars, and bikes, we've got to have it all," said the Mayor. "We've got to do it safely, so I want to send that signal."
Part of the transition includes education about bike laws -- for both motorists and cyclists. The newly marked lanes are supposed to be shared by bikers and cars, but drivers need to safely pass the cyclists, avoid turning in front of them, and generally yield the right-of-way.
The Dallas Bike plan maps miles of routes, but only recently has the city begun marking lanes for bikes.
If you're interested in biking more around Dallas, check these links:
www.bikedfw.org
http://bikefriendlyoc.org/
http://www.greaterdallasbicyclists.com/
http://bikefriendlyrichardson.org/
http://cycledallas.blogspot.com
http://www.dallascityhall.com/development_services/bikePlan/bike_links.html
