City Pauses Phase Out of Alleyway Trash Service

Those in Dallas who have been worried about their alleyway trash and recycling service disappearing early next year can breathe a little easier, at least for now.

City Manager Kimberly Tolbert has directed Sanitation Director Clifton Gillespie to hit the pause button on his plan to eliminate alleyway pickup service for roughly 26,000 households and transition them to curbside pickup, according to a press release.

Gillespie unilaterally moved to phase out alleyway collection for homes with narrow or challenging alleys earlier this year, citing concerns over worker safety. The initiative hasn’t sat well with many of those who will be impacted.

An online petition urging the city to ask Gillespie to reverse his decision has yielded nearly 10,700 signatures, and dozens of residents have attended city council meetings to voice concerns, ranging from the challenges seniors and people with disabilities could face, to the the potential costs some would bear retrofitting their properties to facilitate curbside pickup, and the perceived undemocratic nature of the policy change.

Despite the uproar caused by the announcement, officials said the sanitation director has the authority to make the change per the city code. Now, however, officials will be evaluating where alleyway service might be maintained.

“We hear you, and change is hard,” Tolbert said, according to a press release on Wednesday. “I’ve asked the staff to reconsider, review, and reevaluate all the available feasible options and think creatively about solutions that may be workable. We must balance customer service expectations with worker safety.”

In September, Council Members Paula Blackmon (District 9) and Gay Donnell Willis (District 13) proposed letting residents in affected neighborhoods bring their blocks into compliance with safety standards for alleyway service and pay a higher rate. Council Member Bill Roth (District 12) also got in on the lobbying.

City Hall Roundup: Dallas Sanitation Looks to Improve Safety, Efficiency By Limiting Alley Trash Pick-Up

Libby Collet, a member of the Keep Alley Trash Neighborhood Coalition, which sprung up following Gillespie’s initial announcement over the summer, thanked Tolbert and the council members for being responsive to the thousands of residents who decried the alleyway plan.

“Their willingness to listen and advocate for their constituents for a balanced approach underscores the value of transparent governance and community partnership,” Collett said, noting she and her fellow residents looked forward to collaborating with officials on “workable options for all residents while maintaining a shared priority around worker safety and maintenance.”

According to the press release, the city’s evaluation of alleyway service will expand to all 44,000 households with alleys spanning 8-9 feet. Officials at the Department of Sanitation will conduct a survey this month and next to gauge interest in maintaining alleyway service.

One of the possibilities outlined in the release was having franchised private service providers work alleyway collection under a different cost model.