Screenshot from the City of Dallas’ website regarding alley to curb collection transition.
This article has been updated to include comments from the petition creator.
In emails to newsletter subscribers, Vickery Place Neighborhood Association encouraged residents to sign a petition that rejects the City’s plan to transition trash pickup from alleys to curbs in some neighborhoods.
This change will affect more than 20,000 customers and will occur in 2026, according to a previous Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate Magazine article. Alley service is expected to be discontinued “only in the most problematic locations,” according to the City of Dallas Department of Sanitation Services’ website.
“The move is primarily motivated by safety concerns for sanitation workers and the ongoing shift to automated trucks, which the department’s FAQ page describes as ‘the industry standard for safety and efficiency,’” according to the previous article written by Lake Highlands Advocate Magazine editor Austin Wood. “Alley pickups are typically serviced by rear-loading trucks manned by three-person crews, which the website says are ‘labor-intensive and costly.’ Dallas Sanitation has also proposed an adjustment in the sanitation fee structure to account for the change. While the City currently charges a flat fee for residential pickup, the proposal recommends the adoption of a tiered fee structure that charges remaining alley pickup customers more than those with curbside pickup. The proposal will need to be approved by the council.”
Dallas Sanitation’s website has an interactive map of affected areas and can be found here. In East Dallas, this includes (but is not limited to) Greenland Hills/The M Streets, Vickery Place, Swiss Avenue, Junius Heights, Lakewood, Lakewood Heights, Casa Linda, Casa View, Old Lake Highlands, Lochwood, Forest Hills, Little Forest Hills and White Rock Hills as well as areas between Mockingbird and Lovers Lanes.
The petition, which was created on Change.org on July 7, argues that the change to discontinue alley pickup would “dismantle an integral part of our neighborhood’s infrastructure.” It states that alleyway pickup encourages cleaner and better-looking streets, while curbside would disadvantage older adults and those with disabilities.
“The change will require physically moving trash bins long distances, which is not feasible for everyone,” reads the petition. “It unjustly places the onus on some of our most vulnerable community members.”
(Those without an able-bodied person in their household can sign up for the Helping Hands Program. The program sends sanitation workers to assist neighbors during garbage collection. Residents can sign up online or call 3-1-1 to enroll.)
The petition also calls into question whether the change would cause alleyways to become less maintained or neglected.
Libby Collet, who lives in Preston Hollow, started the petition because she thinks that it’s unfair for an unelected City staffer (Dallas Sanitation Services Director Cliff Gillespie) to make this change that affects so many households.
“It degrades our neighborhoods which were designed specifically for utilities to be kept in the alleys. Many of these homes are not set up for this change, and it will be a burden to many,” Collet said. “The petition gives people a vote and a voice in this matter, and it seems to be working. We’re over 7,700 signatures with more than 200,000 views. We’re hoping that the City Council, City manager and sanitation director are listening. No one is happy about this!”
Vickery Place Neighborhood Association’s July 23 email states that the curbside pickup change would “negatively affect Vickery Place in several ways,” such as:
“Most homes lack a discreet space for storing bins in the front yard,” according to the email. “Many residents do not have front driveways, making bin movement more difficult. Streets would need to be cleared of vehicles for several hours, causing significant inconvenience. Several streets are already designated ‘no parking,’ making this logistically unworkable for neighbors that rely on the remaining parking. Our narrow streets cannot safely accommodate two rows of bins and two-way traffic.”
The email encouraged residents to sign the petition and to contact their City Council member (Paul Ridley for Vickery Place). An email on July 28 recommended that those opposed to curbside pickup contact san.curbtransition@dallas.gov.
The Vickery Place Neighborhood Association president declined to be quoted in this article.
