Bishop Arts alley. Photo by Emma Ruby.
Residents in some Oak Cliff neighborhoods have become accustomed to alley trash pickup. If city sanitation officials have their way, all trash will be collected on the street, and this will begin soon for some homes.
Homes located at 1103-1155 N. Edgefield Ave. and 1102-1154 Windomere Ave. received a letter dated June 25 stating that garbage collection will be relocated from the alleyway to the front of their home effective Aug. 13.
“The Department of Sanitation Services is committed to providing efficient and effective waste collection services while also ensuring the safety of our community and preservation of our infrastructure,” the letter reads. “Following a recent review of alleyway conditions at your location, Sanitation Services has determined that low hanging utility wires, steep entry/exit on both ends of the alley, and overgrown vegetation prohibit our crews to navigate safely but also create hazards for our sanitation workers who are working diligently to serve our community.”
Alley pickup requires smaller trucks, which often cause damage as they navigate between fences and under utility lines. The specialized, 9-foot-wide, back-loading vehicles require more employees and cost nearly $7 million more per year to operate.
Street pickup has its own issues as well.
Cars parked along residential streets make pickup more difficult, and bins lifted higher into the air are more prone to leave litter blowing along the street. Toppled empty bins in the roadway are a blinking green invitation for burglars, indicating residents are away.
To ensure a smooth transition, the sanitation department held a virtual meeting to answer any questions and address any concerns that neighbors on Edgefield and Windomere may have.
“We’re relocating the service from the alley to the curb because of the constant damage to our trucks … on the northern end of the alley, there’s a slope along the Windermere and Edgefield area,” said Eduardo Reyes, assistant director for the sanitation department. “Every time the truck goes in or comes out of there, it continues to damage our truck.”
Some neighbors expressed concern about the change being made “out of the blue.”
“The letters were dated June 24, but we all received the letters Monday or Tuesday of last week,” one neighbor said in the meeting. “This is something just being dropped on us out of the blue, a week from now.”
Jake Ettinger, who works with Councilmember Chad West’s office, said they have heard the neighbors complaints.
“We’ve been working with sanitation, and also we’re working with the Department of Transportation and Public Works to see if it might be possible for them to try to redo that alley exit, so won’t be an issue for the trucks,” Ettinger said “So we’re going to have a meeting with the director of the newly formed Transportation and Public Works next week. We’re hoping that sanitation is going to be open to delaying the implementation, at least temporarily.”
Other concerns from neighbors include worries with accessibility and neighbors being able to physically move their bins to the new pickup locations, and some houses not having front driveways and having to leave their trashcans on the sidewalk.
The city representatives said they would work with individuals who may have specific needs.
The sanitation department ultimately decided to push back the start date for moving the trash pickup location. While an official date has yet to be determined, Reyes said it would be “a couple more weeks,” and they should have a new date confirmed by Monday Aug. 12.
