City of Dallas / Dart Fail to maintain 2.8 million dollar Audelia-LBJ/Skillman Pedestrian Walkway and Bridge.... PLEASE HELP!!
I have included a link to a photo story book I have created regarding this issue of upmost concern……
http://s814.beta.photobucket.com/user/TroggIII/story/9615
LBJ/Skillman DART Stn Ped Bridge project - Completed Apr 2011 - cost of $2.8 million. In Less than 2 years - Come see what it looks like!!
Completed In April 2011 - and as can be seen as of Feb. 2013 - has been well maintained and cared for by Dart and the City of Dallas (NOT)!!
So, what is the purpose of this story??
I created this slideshow as my last attempt to try to get the city departments responsible for maintaining this public area’s attention….
Since, this LBJ/Skillman Dart Rail Pedestrian Bridge Project (that cost $2.8 million TAX Dollars) was completed, very little (if any) has been done to maintain it and to keep it a clean safe environment for all……
For the first four/ five months being open, the pedestrian walkway was DARK – NO LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED – MAKING THIS AREA EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AT DUSK, MUCH LESS NIGHT…. Finally Street lights were installed!!
NOW.. 2 ½ years later… you can see by the pictures… that this place has become an eye sore and neglected (actually ignored) by Dart and the City of Dallas.
Take a look at the issues below – would you want this in your backyard??
• GRAFFITI - is RAMPANT all along the pedestrian trail – NOT JUST A FEW INSTANCES – Approximately 150 areas are covered with paint and graffiti… This was reported back in late December 2012 when there were only four or five places… Now 2 months later – this area looks like it’s become a war zone with paint!! To date, still the graffiti is there and nothing has been done to remove it and get it cleaned up!!
• LANDSCAPING – This area has not been maintained and/or mowed since it first opened – I am certain if a homeowner let their property go (as far as maintaining the grass and trees) – the homeowner would have been given a citation immediately!! So why isn’t the City of Dallas and/or Dart maintaining the grounds??
• TRASH / LITTER / DEBRIS – Do I really need to say anything about this?? The pictures covers this area perfectly, just like the trash covers the pedestrian walkway from end to end.
• HOMELESS SHELTER UNDER BRIDGE -- This can be seen from the LBJ Freeway, as well from the pedestrian walkway, and pedestrian bridge. I am certain that this is not something that anyone would want in their backyard, much less the trash that is around the make-shift home.
• FENCE DAMAGE – Why would the City of Dallas or Dart ignore this issue!!
o The fence closest to the bridge that keeps people out of the rail tracks is only four feet tall!! -- Making it easy for people to climb over it to get to the Sun Colony Apt. and not have to walk to Audelia to get to the complex. I reported and requested that Dart make the fence in that area as tall and the same as the curved inward fence on the pedestrian bridge to prevent people from jumping off the bridge. It makes sense to do so – to prevent being hit by a dart rail. My request has not been replied to and not completed…
o Why hasn’t (Dallas Police, Dart Police, City of Dallas and DART) not fixed the fence that was cut on Sun Colony’s side in Dec. 2011 and reported three times!! (POLICE REPORTS FILED # 0315172-Y on 12/2/2011 & # 0334170-Y on 12/23/2011) Does it take a child to run through the cut fence onto the tracks possibly get hit to get this simple repair done???
o Lastly, do you think the business closest to Audelia where the fence is cut and people use it as a pathway appreciate this unwanted traffic?? The fence has been cut and is extremely sharp. Someone could get hurt by the cut fence, and it still remains not repaired.
• SAFETY AND SECURITY – By the obvious passing of the buck by the numerous City of Dallas departments, it sends a clear message that they don’t care about this area and are sending a perfectly clear message to criminals and vandals that it’s acceptable to destroy the public’s property and to vandalize and to leave trash with no repercussions.
Also, it is perfectly okay to set up a home on public domain, with unsanitary, without basic accommodations to live. What is next? IF there are no consequences for one’s behavior then the next thing could be the harming of an innocent person, child etc… I for one don’t want this type of activity from occurring in my backyard, and most certainly don’t want this eyesore anymore!!
PLEASE, I ask the City of Dallas, and Dart – to take care of this public area and get it back to the state it was when it first opened! Let the citizens in the area know that you care and that this pedestrian walkway is safe and secure and clean!!
I hope that once this issue is addressed that finally whatever city department is responsible will keep it maintained – because for 2.8 million dollars spent on this project – it just makes “cents” (and sense, lol) to do so!!
Thanks for looking at the pictures and reading this story – I hope that this will be a mute subject in the very near future – we shall see…..
- Trey Shingler March 6th, 2013
