AUSTIN, Texas — Some people who live in the West Austin neighborhood along Galahad Drive may be breathing a sigh of relief after they raised concerns over low-hanging wires posing a safety threat.
Jeanne Nielson told KVUE on Wednesday afternoon that for weeks she and neighbors have had to haul their garbage bins up the hill where waste service trucks can pick them up because the trucks couldn't safely get through.
"The trash company Texas Disposal Systems [TDS] came in and said, 'You know, this is too dangerous. We can't get our trucks down the street,'" Nielson said.
The low-hanging wires had not only become a nuisance to neighbors but a safety hazard if, for example, a fire crew was unable to get through.
Nielson said she called AT&T, Spectrum and even called Austin's 311 line to try and get the issue resolved.
"We've all called different people and had no action except for them coming out [and] saying, 'Oh, well, they have to move their wire first.' You know, AT&T and Spectrum went back and forth. It's frustrating," Nielson said.
KVUE reached out to both Spectrum and AT&T. A spokesperson from Spectrum said the wires were not theirs.
AT&T later responded that the cables did, in fact, belong to them. A company spokesperson released the following statement:
"We worked as quickly as possible with our contractor to raise the height of our cables on Galahad Drive. Residents with concerns about our cables in their neighborhood should contact us at 800-288-2020."
Nielson sent KVUE photos of crews working in the neighborhood on Wednesday night on the wires and said they did appear to be higher.
Before being informed of the contract crews, KVUE had also reached out to TDS and was given the statement below:
"TDS is deeply committed to the safety of our employees and the communities we serve.
"It was our TDS driver who first reported the low-hanging wires on Galahad Drive in May of 2023. The low-hanging wires posed a safety hazard, preventing our trucks from safely accessing the street throughout the month of July. Although the utility company has raised the wires, they remain a risk for our automated trucks as they are still too low.
"We continue to be in communication with our eight TDS customers on Galahad Drive, urging them to report the issue to the utility company to request they help raise the wires higher. Our priority remains protecting the safety of our drivers and the community.
"To maintain continuity of services, we asked our customers to bring their trash and recycling carts to the corner of Galahad Drive and Castle Ridge Road. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused for our customers on Galahad Drive and appreciate their patience. We're committed to uninterrupted service and hope the utility company resolves the wire issue soon."