Wheel variety way to go in transport

This is getting almost biblical. First, there were the bikes, and the bikes populated downtown in great numbers. And the bikes begat the scooters. And from the scooters shall come the electric bikes. It’s almost mystical the way these things appear and disappear. But if we look at what’s really happening in Dallas, it’s less a creation story than one of evolution.

Dallas is rapidly testing and shifting the way we might get around in the future. And despite the strangeness, it’s all for the better.

That’s not to say there aren’t concerns. The city has done well with a light touch on regulation and, hopefully, that stays intact. But the city council can’t just acquiesce to demands if they’re made by Uber, which wants to roll out 2000 e-bikes, and those providing scooters and other rental options. The city must also keep its commitments with respect to expanding bike lanes and creating conditions where bike riders are safe, especially when so many area drivers cannot comprehend the term, ‘‘share the road’’.

The arrangement could work out well for the city and for Dallas residents. Without the kind of mass transit infrastructure found in cities like New York and Chicago, the combination of electric bikes and scooters could make for an effective solution for those needing to travel the nearly toolong-to-walk short distances.

Getting around the city is never going to be heaven. But we shouldn’t stop trying to figure out how to make it better.