A bikeshare program in Downtown Dallas is a non-starter unless it's entirely funded by private money.
Robert Wilonsky reports on the challenges facing the effort to bring bikeshare to Downtown Dallas—most of which have to do with funding.
The Dallas City Council’s Transportation and Trinity River Project Committee was told Monday afternoon it will cost around $6.1 million to kick-start a bike share program in and around downtown, with spokes reaching all the way to Deep Ellum, The Cedars, the Design District, Victory Park and Uptown.
Downtown Dallas Inc. has spent two years trying to score sponsorships to raise the bulk of those funds, but so far to no avail. Opposing any other route to funding a bikeshare program is Dallas City Councilmember Sandy Grayson, who insists the program must not spend any public money in construction or maintenance and operation.
There is a bikeshare program in Dallas, of sorts, at Fair Park, "[b]ut it it’s seldom used, and it’s not meant to go outside Fair Park’s gates." Meanwhile, according to Wilonsky, every other major city in Texas has a bikeshare program, "including El Paso."
FULL STORY: Why Dallas can’t get off its saddle and launch bike share like every other big city

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie