Following in the footsteps of Fort Worth and Arlington, the city of Dallas is now considering ways to improve the downtown area for pedestrians and cyclists in addition to cars, trucks and motorcycles. There are no solid plans so far, however, and early ideas have included a variety of different approaches. One council member suggested the extreme (and ultimately unhelpful) idea of shutting Main Street to motor vehicles entirely to create a single pedestrian zone, while others favor the more useful and cost-effective idea of creating new special-use lanes throughout the city as part of scheduled repaving construction.

The proposals are the result of Dallas receiving an $800,000 grant intended to be used to improve city roads to make them safer for bicycle riders and pedestrians.

As a Dallas County personal injury lawyer, I think this is a great idea. Having dedicated bicycle lanes can really make a difference to cyclist safety – particularly in busy urban areas such as downtown Dallas. Pedestrian safety is also of major concern in DFW, especially since the recent spate of hit-and-run accidents which have occurred in the downtown area.

I look forward to learning how Dallas council decides to use the grant money to make the city streets safer for all road users. In the meantime, it’s important that both pedestrians and cyclists realize that if they are ever injured in any kind of traffic accident, they do have a legal right to compensation, just like any other motorist. If you or a loved one has been injured, call me today and I’ll send you a free copy of my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. Call me locally at 214-327-8000 or toll free at 800-354-6275.

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