RICHARDSON — Sanitation trucks picking up trash in Richardson can barely squeeze through some of the city's oldest alleys.
To make matters worse, many of those alleys are falling apart.
The problem is, the older alleys are eight feet wide, instead of the now-standard 10 feet.
Richardson City Council members are considering a bond proposal that would improve miles and miles of alleys.
The city staff is calling for a $66 million bond election in May. Part of the bond money would go toward repaving, repairing and widening dilapidated alleys that haven't been fixed in decades.
The sanitation trucks picking up trash in Richardson can barely fit in some of the worst alleys, which are filled with cracks, holes and uneven edges that make driving a difficult task.
Most built before 1975 are eight feet wide. Garbage trucks with steps and mirrors are nine feet wide.
“We have got good garbage service. It's just a matter of being able to get to our garbage for them to pick up," said Richardson homeowner Jackie Hinds.
Hinds complained to the city twice about damage caused by the sanitation trucks that frequently make crevices in sidewalks and curbs near alley entrances.
“I think it's terrible. Somebody is not paying attention,” Hines said.
Thirty-one miles of Richardson alleys are eight feet wide. The bond proposal would upgrade many of them to 10 feet, the standard in most North Texas cities.
The alley fix-up would be based on a rating system where the worst ones get fixed first.
Emily Lanbeth says it's not just the roads being damaged. “It has presented some problems in the past of the fences being torn down or bent quite badly,” she said.
The city usually resurfaces and widens old alleys. But Richardson Mayor Gary Slagle said Council members may consider scaling back the proposed repairs, fixing only deteriorated areas, and not portions already in good condition.
E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com
