Bike to Work

DART cranks up to speed for Dallas' Bike to Work Day festivities

Start pedaling.

Photo courtesy of Ecotrends

May 19 is National Bike to Work Day and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is hosting events to encourage commuters to get on two wheels.

It's being visioned as a bike-crazy day with cyclists pedaling to work, appointments, and shopping. DART has set up several "energizer" stations where bike enthusiasts can celebrate Bike to Work Day activity.

From 7-9 am, organizations such as Bike DFW, North Central Texas Council of Governments, local bike groups, shops, and area partners will be situated at DART stations (listed below), offering free bike tune-ups, treats, promotional items, and tips on safety.

The number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. continues to grow, as more people decide to combine travel with exercise; transit; savings on costs, fuel, parking fees, and car maintenance; and helping the environment.

In a 2014 report by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, Dallas came in at a low-ranking No. 47 on a list of cities with commuter bicycling and walking, far below Boston at No. 1 and Washington, D.C., at No 2. Arlington came in at No. 48 and Fort Worth came in at No. 52. There's still some opportunity for smug.

Dallas did make a top 10 list on that report, however, coming in at No. 5 for the most spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects. We know how to spend money.

Since 2011, we've had two bike czars. The most recent hire left in 2015, and has not been replaced. The city has been unable to find a replacement and has no hire on the horizon, but it spent $171,000 in January 2017 to have a consulting firm design 8 miles of bike lanes.

Energizer stations will be at the following DART locations:

Downtown Plano Station, 1001 E. 16th St.
Cityline/Bush Station, 1300 E. President George Bush Hwy.
Mockingbird Station, 5465 E. Mockingbird Ln.
St. Paul Station on Bryan Avenue in downtown Dallas
Farmers Branch Station, 12800 Denton Rd.
Addison Transit Center, 4925 Arapaho Rd.
Dallas Streetcar's Oakenwald stop, 1501 N. Zang Blvd.

Stations are subject to change. Visit DART.org/Bikes or call 214-979-1111 for more information.

fitness

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.

politics