Bike Sharing News

Statistics from Dallas bike share company Ofo are up, up, and away

Ofo bike-share use is rolling along.

Photo courtesy of Ofo

Bike-sharing continues to climb, according to figures released by Ofo, one of the handful of bike-share companies that has set up shop in Dallas.

Ofo began service in Dallas in early November, and its users have ridden more than 100,000 miles.

In December, the number of trips increased by more than 50 percent and January was better yet, with nearly 75 percent growth, even during the cold snap.

Statistics from Ofo mirror those of other bike-share companies in that the majority of trips — nearly 70 percent — start or end near a transit stop (light rail or bus) in Dallas.

This number is significantly higher than other cities Ofo serves such as Washington, D.C. and Seattle, where that number is closer to half.

The company has partnered with DART to place its yellow bikes near rail stations in downtown Dallas, plus Mockingbird Station, and two stops in Plano — about 10 stops, total.

As part of an overall city-wide promotion, the bikes are free through the month of February; the company is still mulling its plans for March.

"We had a meeting with Gary Thomas, the CEO of DART," says Everett Weiler, general manager of Ofo Dallas. "He's fascinated with bike sharing because we present a realistic solution for the first-mile last-mile problem.

"For people who might otherwise use public transportation, that last mile from a bus or train stop is an obstacle," he says. "It would take you another 30 minutes to walk it, but it's only 5 minutes on a bike. Bike-sharing opens the door to a brand new user."

Ofo is the company that partnered with Paul Quinn College and placed 50 bikes on campus for students to use for free. In less than a month, they've logged hundreds of trips.

The company has also tracked its bikes being ridden outside of the urban core, in areas that are traditionally underserved, IE southern Dallas, where 20 percent of Ofo's bike fleet is being utilized.

"We feel that's important, and we're doing what we can to be part of the mayor's Grow South initiative," Weiler says.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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