We’ve got another bike friendly group in the DFW to welcome. Bike Friendly Garland, at bikefriendlygarland.blogspot.com has been launched by Jonathan Guzman, @BicyclePOV. We met at a recent bicycle swap in Garland and I encouraged him to take the initiative and start it up, and he’s done just that. He also is a pretty good mechanic and restorer of used bicycles. Check it out!
While Jonathan has taken the initiative, he’ll need help making Bike Friendly Garland into a great bicycle advocacy group. We encourage anyone to get involved and help out!
Here’s information about their first group ride:
Click here to review, sign and present waiver forms on date of the event
“Join us for a fun morning group ride to kick off Bike Friendly Garland.”Please note: that we will be riding through some roads as we ride through Garland. Rider assumes full responsibility for their actions, safety, injury and personal property. Please evaluate your own physical or health limitations before deciding to participate. We will ride as a group in a “no-drop” style ride at a leisurely pace. We may cover distances of over ten miles. Leave the spandex at home! Thanks.Make sure to follow us on our Facebook page where our event will be listed.
Bike Friendly Oak Cliff 
I met Johnny yesterday afternoon, and we took a 23.5 mile cruise through Garland for BFG’s first “unofficial” ride. We should have some pics up soon. Garland is definitely “Car Land” today. You are right, we are going to need all the help we can get. There’s a lot of work and advocacy to be done to get people on bikes, and get motorists to understand that bikes belong on the streets (as opposed to the sidewalks which we were emphatically told by one driver). Overall, Garland is surprisingly bike-able if you know the city well.
Thanks for the welcome!
Jared
You bet Jared! Glad to hear you’re in and understand we all need each other in this. One suggestion I made to Johnny was to invite your council reps along for the ride and show them the need for bicycle improvements, whether it’s like what Plano did and added better signage and passed a passing law or a full bike plan with lanes, cycletracks, etc. Don’t underestimate the power you have when you build a consensus and ask for these things to be included in the city planning process.
Jonathan