Dallas residents want a seat at the table when it comes to deciding the fate of alley trash pickup.
At least six people from districts 13 and nine spoke on potential changes to their trash pickup during Wednesday's City Council meeting. The city paused a plan to transition from alley to curbside pickup earlier this month.
The planned hybrid approach would have impacted around 26,000 residents with eight- and nine-foot alleys, extended dead-end alleys, and homes that had front driveways. These households were scheduled to transition from alley pickup to curbside pickup in January.
The city plans to widen the scope of evaluation to include all 44,000 residents who live with eight- and nine-foot alleys citywide during October and November.
But District 13 resident Bradley Williams said the pause was a waste of time and resources.
"We already know residents overwhelmingly want to keep alley service," Williams said, referencing more than 11,000 people who signed a petition rejecting the end of alley trash collection.
One alternative under consideration would be to move to a franchised solid waste provider, which city staff say would operate under a different cost model and could result in higher rates.
Williams told city council that surveying residents on an increased rate was not a real solution.
"That's just an underhanded way to manufacture support for plans the residents have already rejected," he said.
Sanitation Director Cliff Gillespie previously told the city council that Dallas' alley conditions vary widely and contribute to elevated safety risks, along with high maintenance costs and increased equipment damage.
Sanitation equipment gets damaged in eight-and nine-foot alleys and makes contact with fences, utility poles, overhead wires, and gas meters.
Bruce Orr, another District 13 resident, said the alleyways are not just used for trash pickup. Homeowners use the alleys daily, navigating the same ruts, utility poles, and vegetation the garbage trucks face.
The issues with alley conditions will not disappear with a change in trash pickup, Orr said.
"And if the city moves service to the curb, the problems the city is running from will be left for homeowners who can't so easily relocate their garage, get the trash cans from alley to the street or fill the ruts in the alleyway," Orr said.
Alleyway trash pickup was not on Wednesday's agenda and city council took no action related to it during the meeting.
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