Dallas Is the Worst When It Comes to Cycling to Work? Gee, Can't Imagine Why. No, Wait ...

I've been trying since daybreak to reach Max Kalhammer, the city's bike coordinator, to talk about the not-at-all-surprising results of the Alliance for Biking & Walking's 2012 Benchmarking Report, which says we're one of the worst big cities in the entire country when it comes to people riding their bikes to work. Kalhammer's one of those who provided the ABW with stats; he's mentioned up front. As I was about to give up, I was told moments ago to expect a call from Theresa O'Donnell, head of Sustainable Development, later in the day. So ... yeah.

Anyway. Like I said, the results of the report aren't surprising. Because, you know, we have zero miles of bike lanes. Because they cost a billion dollars, or close to, even though they don't have to, as Jim pointed out a few weeks back. As Jason Roberts put it today, "It's almost like [some city officials] are plugging their ears, going, 'Nonononononono.'"

I called the Bike Friendly Oak Cliff-dweller when I didn't hear from Kalhammer. Roberts has his meeting at City Hall today to see about getting funding for the Jefferson Avenue Viaduct bike lanes, a top priority in the new Bike Plan. We'll see how that goes. Anyway. I asked him about this morning's report, which he's yet to read. I told him where Dallas ranks on the bikes-to-work scale. "Surprise," he said, but not like he meant it.

"It's like banging your head against the wall," he said. "People go: 'Well, see, nobody bikes here.' It's because you have no infrastructure."