City officials in Dallas are considering changing how waste collection is carried out.
During a committee meeting of the Dallas City Council on February 20, some council members considered ending solid waste collections in alleys where automated side-load garbage trucks do not fit. Officials claimed the measure could improve reliability and efficiency while improving safety for sanitation workers.
The alleyways in Dallas, all between 8 and 10 feet wide, are designed for waste pickup. However, some of the narrower alleyways require smaller trucks with sanitation workers having to work on foot. In addition to being less efficient and having less capacity, this method risks workers being injured on the job and the potential of damage to private property, vehicles, and utilities.
A presentation by the City indicates that 62% of the approximate 258,000 customer collections occur curbside, while the remaining 38% occur in alleys. However, this is not uniform across the City, with some areas having more pickups in alleys than others. District 3, which is represented by Council Member Zarin D Gracey, currently has 58% of its pickup in alleys. In contrast, District 4, which Council Member Carolyn King Arnold represents, has 64% of its pickup in alleys.
The new measure, if implemented, would not affect customers who already have automated collection in their alleys.
“When we look at an opportunity to streamline one of the most important services for our residents, to me, this is somewhat of a no-brainer,” said Quality of Life Committee chair Adam Bazaldua (District 7), per NBC 5 DFW. “There’s an equitable practice that we need to be willing to make some tough decisions on to even out the score.”
No decisions on the initiative were made at the meeting. However, council members did indicate that they were open to talking more about it with additional data.
“I just think we’ve got to take a hard look at that. It may be time to evaluate how we do a transition,” said Council Member Gay Donnell Willis (District 13), according to NBC 5.
Dallasites previously indicated that they believe officials have been doing a poor job managing city cleanliness, which has prompted some local groups to organize private volunteers to step in and do their part to try to keep Dallas free of the litter that is prevalent throughout the city, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
