When Dallas resident Bradley Williams lived in the Briarwood neighborhood, his trash bins drove him nuts.
Because he didn't have a front driveway, he kept the bins jammed by the side of his house until it was time to wheel them out over rocks to the curb. He sometimes struggled to roll them out in the pouring rain — and to keep pests at bay.
So when Williams and his wife found a new home in the Midway Hollow neighborhood, which was built with an alleyway system, he loved knowing trash would stay behind the house — out of sight, out of mind.
"That was a reason, one of the reasons, we bought that house," Williams said. "And then I come to find out, after being there less than a year, that they're planning on taking that away."
Unbeknownst to Williams, the city of Dallas had planned to phase out alley trash service for several neighborhoods with pavement nine feet wide or less, and move to a curbside pickup model. Originally the city planned to phase out all alleyway trash service — which would have affected about 95,000 residents — but paused the plan by a year after receiving feedback from residents.
Director of Sanitation Cliff Gillespie briefed the city council on the updated proposal this summer. A hybrid approach would have phased out alley trash pickup for households with alleyway pavement nine feet wide or less and equipped with front driveways, impacting around 26,000 residents.
The plan would have impacted Williams' home, which has a front driveway.
Other residents with narrow alleys, but without front driveways, were not included in the hybrid plan. However, they have been vocal about the prospect of potentially losing their service in the future and not having an accessible way to utilize and store their bins.
Gillespie told the council that varying alley conditions contribute to high maintenance costs, increased equipment damage, and safety risks. These challenges increase when operating in alleyways nine feet wide or less.
"Many of these alleys simply aren't suitable for large equipment," Gillespie said.
That was not always the case.
Several neighborhoods in Dallas built in the early to mid-1900s were designed with alleyways for trash pickup. Douglas Newby, an area Realtor who specializes in architecturally significant homes, said it added a luxury element that set the neighborhoods apart from others with curbside trash.
He said Munger Place was one of the first planned developments to pioneer this idea in Dallas.
"Being able to put a garbage can or a trash bin in the alley where you don't see it — and you just take a plastic bag and put it out of sight, out of mind and somebody picks it up at their convenience — that's luxury," Newby said.
Alley service is appealing for homeowners of all ages, Newby said, but especially older residents who may have difficulty wheeling out trash bins to the curb. Alleys also keep older, relatively inexpensive neighborhoods clean by designating trash to the back of the house as opposed to the front, Newby added.
But neighborhoods that once touted alleyway features are now operating on a system that time forgot.
"Capacity has increased, but the width and this problem have existed for a long time," Gillespie told residents during a town hall at the Fretz Recreation Center in North Dallas.
Residents asked Gillespie during the town hall why the city bought trucks too big to accommodate the established alleyways.
He told KERA it was not that simple.
Texas amended the width allowed for commercial vehicles in the 1980s from 7.5 feet to 8.6 feet wide. While wider truck standards have more capacity, alleyway pavements
Although trucks got wider, alleyways did not. This makes for a tight squeeze for trucks navigating pavement nine feet wide or less.
"The issue is far more complex," Gillespie told KERA. "You know, it's easy to say we bought trucks that are too large."
How a city approaches trash collection has to be hyper local to its residents, Gillespie added.
Residents impacted by the proposed plan have been vocal in opposition to the plan for months, speaking out during city council meetings and signing an online petition to keep their current trash system. There were more than 11,900 people who had signed the petition as of late November.
The petition was created by Preston Hollow resident Libby Collet who said it started a movement.
"The petition was really a vote and a voice and a chance to be heard, and it seemed to open the doors to the conversation with City Hall," Collet said.
Outside of accessibility issues, residents at the town hall also voiced concern over the maintenance and safety of the alleyways should they stop being utilized for trash pickup.
Months of controversy over the future of Dallas' alleyways has prompted conversations between residents and the city. A survey was mailed to all 44,000 residents who have alleyways nine feet wide or less.
Gillespie said it can be filled out online, over the phone, or mailed back. City staff will present their findings to the city council by January 21.
One alternative previously mentioned 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.
"We are seeking their feedback to better understand the value they place on alleyway service," Gillespie said. "If it came an additional cost, how much more would they be willing to pay?"
It's a hopeful step in the right direction for some residents, like Melshire Estates resident Bruce Orr.
Orr told KERA that he was glad people were able to get a lot off their chest during the town hall and hopes that city staff listen to their concerns.
"They already know definitely what they want to do, and it's going to be all of the people pulling them against their wills to do something that the people want," Orr said.
Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona@kera.org.
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