Uptown/Oak Lawn Conversation: Maple Ave, Dallas' Deadliest Street for Walkers

Maple Avenue, from Oak Lawn Avenue to Mockingbird Lane, has been identified by city officials as the most dangerous street in Dallas for pedestrians. In 2024, city staff worked with a consultant to design a road diet that would've made the street safer by replacing the outer car lanes with protected bike lanes, and adding protected crosswalks at key crossings.

Though the plan was praised by local residents and cycling advocates, and protected bike lanes were added to the city's Master Bike Plan, business merchants along Maple Ave came out in vocal opposition to the road diet. The merchants feared that, despite making the street safer for all, converting car lanes to bike lanes was bad for business. Last month, city staff considered an amendment to the master bike plan removing the bike lanes from Maple Ave.

For this month's conversation, let's talk about what's going on with Maple Ave. First we'll review the facts: crash counts and hotspots, transit service, sidewalk conditions, and adjacent homes and businesses. We'll revisit the plans that were proposed, and consider what we like or dislike from the plan. We'll then discuss the price of safety versus convenience: What does data and research say about the impact of bike lanes on businesses? According to empirical evidence, how much safer would the road diet have made the street? Is there anything that could be improved from the most recent design plans?

Key Question: as residents and stakeholders in Oak Lawn, what steps can we take to support making Maple Ave safer for all? And what can we do to find common ground with the merchants on Dallas' deadliest street?

Reading Recommendations: to keep discussion flowing and productive, please take time to read some or all of the following articles from Streetsblog and Strong Towns:

• Business Grew After Controversial Bike Lane Installed, Data Show - Streetsblog New York City
• Why Bicyclists Are Better Customers Than Drivers for Local Business — Streetsblog USA
• Media Critique: Mainstream Media Needs to Include the Facts in Stories About Bike Lanes on Merchant Corridors - Streetsblog San Francisco
• How To Turn a Deadly Stroad Into a Safe Street: The Broad Street Project | Strong Towns
• How Cities Can Make Streets Safer Before a Crisis Hits | Strong Towns
• Make Safe Streets a Culture War and We All Lose | Strong Towns
• The Myth of Mobility: Why Faster Cities Often Leave People Behind | Strong Towns

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Hyperlocal Conversations are neighborhood-specific monthly gatherings where neighbors explore ways to improve walkability where they live. Visit our website, dallasurbanists.org/hyperlocal, to learn more about the program, see our full schedule of upcoming conversations, and find or start a conversation in your neighborhood.