In my post of June 3, I started out the post with the words---Dallas Has A Problem. When users of the park speak up, it seems that the only solutions come with the great big tag that says," Run Around". But, when it has the power backed by the Fire Department, the tag reads differently. It reads,"JOB DONE".
Ironically, the past few years I have mentioned to others that where one sees the wood poles with the top painted red---even with years of weathering--- why the poles are painted and what it means. These poles were painted like a fire lane---which means , no parking. The reason why no parking was selected for that space was because the fire department needed a place to put in their boats for water rescues, searches, etc.,etc.
Last year, the fire department needed to go up White Rock Creek for a water rescue and could not put their boat in under the Mockingbird Bridge Lot because cars were parked where the poles could be pulled and a boat put in. The Fire Department had to go up past the first marina to the concrete boat dock.
Only a few weeks ago, the call came in again for a water rescue and even at that boat dock (where the SUP rentals call home) the Fire Department could not gain access again. So, the next thing to happen is that the parks and recreation crews are drilling and inserting post into the gravel lot at the boat ramp. In short, they cut up the parking lot, created a fire lane and that is that!!! Anyone parking there will be issued a ticket.
The issues are part of the same issues that I have been addressing the past three years with little or no help from the city. Yet, when the city needs something---or has an issue with something---it gets resolved instantly. At least, it lends support to the growing number of park goers that are frustrated at seeing the growing number of runners and bikers write their own rules to suit themselves.
Two weeks ago, I mentioned to an official that someone was going to get killed. A week later, a biker was struck by a DART train as he tried to access the Santa Fe Trail. So, it's not just White Rock, yet, White Rock is having some very close calls with bikers nearly hitting kids getting out of the family cars, animals being hit by construction crews and bikers alike. Having mentioned the fire lane issue, signs posted are ignored and not where one way traffic is posted but not clearly marked as it should be. The city has a responsibility to educate the park goers about traffic patterns with proper signage, especially since Texas has a problem with people going the wrong way on turnpikes and expressways as it is. Other states don't have half the problem that exist in the Lone Star State.
Just last week, one guy ask me "where's the signs?" My point exactly!! There are common traffic patterns that are national when signage isn't in place. It's universal traffic pattern flow---like when you enter a split and don't know if you should go straight or to the right---the rule is based on the same approach to a traffic circle---you always go to the right. But, in current time, when kids can't read an analog clock and get the correct time, knowing the rule of thumb of traffic flow just isn't cutting it. I am still waiting for a return call from Public Works on some of these issues.
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| Fire Department Just Created New Fire Lanes |
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| It seems that People Had No Clue that the Fire Dept.needs access to the lake for water rescues. |
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| Half a Lot has now been Lost because of a few who were self-centered. |
