It could be a while before the lights are back on along the southern end of Katy Trail.
Copper thieves are targeting light poles along the trail. For the third time in less than a month, thieves stripped the wires from light poles near Reverchon Park, leaving runners and bikers in the dark.
“I feel safe, until nighttime,” said runner Natalia Fiore.
The nonprofit group that oversees the trail, the Friends of the Katy Trail, is working with the city of Dallas to get the lights back on. But the process gets expensive. Damages from just this month top $18,000.
“It’s like you keep spending money, but it keeps getting destroyed. Maybe it's not worth it,” said runner Teresa Hancock.
Dallas police said the thieves pry open the cover plates and strip the copper wire from inside. The latest hit dimmed 11 lights.
“This is a great trail with all the people running and riding,” Tom Sherry said. “It’s a shame if it’s going to curtail that kind of activity.”
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Dallas parks officials say they can't put a price on public safety, so they'll help replace the copper when they can find the funding.
Until then, they are encouraging runners to avoid the southern end of the trail at night.
