GUIDE THROUGH THE MAZE OF CITY-REL ATED QUESTIONS

My street is VERY D A RK . How would I go about getting a STREETLIGHT installed?

1. C all the city’s service request number, 311, and tell the operator that you are requesting a streetlight installed on your street.

2. After you make the request, a work order will be issued to the district engineer within your zip code. T he engineer will send you a petition request; eight signatures are needed from surrounding homeowners for your request to be considered. One stipulation of the installation process is that if you want a streetlight installed between two houses, you need the other homeowner’s consent and signature as well as your own. If you cannot get your neighbor to sign the petition, the streetlight will not be installed.

3. After signatures for the petition are obtained and given to the

Although there is no fee for installing a streetlight in your neighborhood, the installation process can be pretty timeconsuming. Here’s how it works: city, the petition is then sent to Oncor, the company responsible for the city’s streetlights and electricity. T he approval process may take up to 45 days to finalize, but once it receives an OK , your streetlight will immediately be installed.

4. By the way, to report a streetlight outage, call Oncor at 1.888.313.4747. Because Oncor owns all of the streetlights, the city is not involved in any repairs or maintenance, only in the initial installation request.

5. For more information, visit the Oncor website at oncor.com, or visit dallascityhall.com/services/transportation2.html and click on “ Street L ighting”. —ASHA GWIN

WHAT GIVES?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for neighborhood nonprofits

GIVE YOUR OLD COMPUTER to the Texas Center for the Visually Challenged, an organization founded by Lake Highlands resident Robert Langford, who refurbishes donations of used computers and computer parts to ship free of charge to visually impaired people. To date, our community has offered up 3,500 computers — about 100 so far this year. For details, visit handicapability.org or call 214.282.2581. down Greenville Avenue to benefit the North Texas Food Bank, which addresses the critical issue of hunger in our neighborhoods. The 5k Dash Down Greenville, which starts at 8:30 a.m. at Central Market, 5750 Greenville, kicks off the famous annual Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade, Saturday, March 13. If you need a little pre-race training, attend free social runs at Central Market Wednesdays at 6 p.m. through the week before the event. Registration is $20 at dashdowngreenville.com.

OR DASH ...

KNOW OF WAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.