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Dallas recreation centers, libraries and other facilities are expected to reopen to the public Friday as icy roads around the city continue to thaw due to rising temperatures.
City facilities are planned to open by noon though people are urged to call locations before going to make sure they are open. Garbage and recycling pickups are also scheduled to resume Friday.
“It’s possible that we won’t be able to get to all customers in areas with lingering ice, particularly those serviced in alleyways with unimproved surfaces,” said Cliff Gillespie, Dallas sanitation department assistant director. Customers who had their trash missed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will have to wait until next week for collections, he said.
Wintry weather and freezing temperatures have left thousands of Texans without power Thursday, mostly concentrated in the east and central part of the state.
The city has stopped proactively sanding major roads, bridges, overpasses and intersections due to the improving conditions, said Public Works Director Ali Hatefi. The city will still put down sand in areas deemed public hazards and by request via 311. The city will also continue monitoring roads, he said.
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[30/30] A Dallas Area Rapid Transit train crosses over Northwest Highway toward the Park Lane Station in Dallas on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Due to extreme winter weather across North Texas, DART’s light rail Red, Blue, Green and Orange lines experienced “significant delays,” the day before.(Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer)
According to the city, around 120 Dallas Water Utility and public work crews have been working 12-hour shifts this week putting down mixtures of sand and salt on about 827 miles of road at least three times per shift. Up to 45 trucks have been used to treat the roads and at some points, four snowplows were used in areas where snow accumulated.
As of noon Wednesday, the city had put down almost 3,000 tons of the sand/salt mixture.
“We’re happy that we’re seeing improvement, and we should be out of this by tomorrow, hopefully,” Hatefi said.
Temporary shelters are expected to stay open through at least Thursday night, according to Christine Crossley, the city’s homeless solutions office director.
She said approximately 715 people were staying at five locations: Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, Warren United Methodist Church, the downtown library, the former Austin Street Center headquarters in South Dallas and the Reverchon Recreation Center. She said all of the sites are either at or near capacity.
Crossley said volunteers are needed at the two churches overnight Thursday and to help close the shelter the following morning. People interested in volunteering at Warren United Methodist Church are asked to send an email while prospective Oak Lawn United Methodist Church volunteers are asked to fill out a form online.