On April 14 You Won't Be Able to Drive on the Houston Street Viaduct. But Cycle? Sure Thing.

Last March council members Delia Jasso and Pauline Medrano joined Dallas Bike Coordinator Max Kalhammer and others for a bike ride through Seville, Spain, with Jasso sending word that the locals were strapping on their thinking helmets for a possible ciclovía somewhere in Dallas, which means turning over a complete...

By Robert Wilonsky

February 23, 2012

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Last March council members Delia Jasso and Pauline Medrano joined Dallas Bike Coordinator Max Kalhammer and others for a bike ride through Seville, Spain, with Jasso sending word that the locals were strapping on their thinking helmets for a possible ciclovía somewhere in Dallas, which means turning over a complete street to cyclists. Not long after that Bike Friendly Oak Cliff received a $5,000 grant from Bikes Belong, with the money aimed toward creating "the first car-free streets day in Dallas" intended to "show the appeal of car-free public spaces."

Finally, we'll get to see what that looks like.

Late yesterday -- on the 100th anniversary of the Houston Street Viaduct, no less -- BFOC sent word that the Ciclovia de Dallas 2012 is set for April 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and that it will entail closing off the bridge to auto traffic. Promises BFOC, there will be everything from live music to bike races to yoga to kite-flying; food trucks and urban markets too, of course. We're behind: Fort Worth's already had two such "open streets" events.

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