A group of neighborhood advocates in Southern Dallas said they couldn't wait for the city to bring much-needed lighting to their neighborhoods — so they took matters into their own hands.
Yafeuh Balogun, a coordinator with the Dallas chapter of Community Movement Builders, said he tried to go through the proper channels with the city to bring more lighting to a neighborhood that gets pitch black after dark.
"We feel like the safety of the community is very important," Balogun said. "When you look at the demographic neighborhood of this community, a lot of them is older people. They were very concerned."
After submitting a request for a street light, Balogun was told the city would review his request within a 60-day period and then determine how to move forward. But he said the neighborhood couldn't wait that long.
"Community Movement Builders took it upon ourselves to go ahead and install our own light on our property," he said.
The group raised money to fund the installation of a new solar-powered street light. On Martin Luther King Jr. day, the group dug a hole, poured concrete and installed the light on Basswood Street in Highland Hills.
The group then posted a video of the installation on social media, which went viral.
"It's something that we did in a couple hours that the city took 80 days to not do," said Winston Parker, a member of CMB Dallas. "It's a celebration of what we are able to do as people."
Nick Starling, a spokesperson for the city, told KERA in a written statement that the city's Transportation and Public Works department received a 311 request from Balogun's address.
"Once the City receives the request, the location is studied and evaluated based on the feasibility of installing a new streetlight in the city's public right of way. The feasibility study includes a look at infrastructure such as the location of existing wiring at the requested location and whether spacing requirements are met, among other considerations. If a street light request is deemed feasible, all homeowners within 100 feet of the proposed location must agree by signing a petition," read the statement.
"Typically, the City receives a few hundred new street light requests each year," Starling added.
Balogun said the group hopes to install more lights around the neighborhood through a crowdfunding campaign with support from neighbors.
"We have had a prolonged blackout before in this neighborhood," said Stanley Kennedy, a neighbor who lives on Basswood Street. "It was a positive effort and I think it was a plus to the street."
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA's growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo atparauzpena@kera.org.
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