Aleksander Pearlman, Officer Bobby Jones, Major Phyllis Nobles, Officer Amber Oliver, Kathy Stewart, Vicky Taylor, Cheryl Zreet, Bill Rogers, Lisa Briggs, Danny Williams and Kate Milner
The North Lake Highlands Public Improvement District teamed up with City Council member Kathy Stewart, the City of Dallas Transportation Department and the District 10 art committee to install a second decorated traffic signal box Friday. The first, unveiled in May of 2023 at the corner of Walnut Hill and White Rock Trail, highlighted the peacocks which make their home near Flagpole Hill. The newest, at the corner of Forest and Audelia, carries a butterfly theme.
“When we think about a butterfly, we think about transformation,” said Vicky Taylor, executive director of the PID. “We are all Lake Highlands, and we want to make it all look just as beautiful.”
As she prepared for the ribbon cutting, Stewart recalled days when the intersection was notorious for vandalism and violent crime. Much has changed.
“I started working in this area in 2015 when I (was PID director) and realized this was a challenged part of our district and needed some TLC, to say the least. A lot has happened since then. We have a wonderful park and community center that are coming to this intersection. Vicky is working on some improvements, including crosswalks and beautification, and I’m going to be helping to fund that with some 2017 bond money that hasn’t been spent yet. We want all the neighbors here to know that the City of Dallas and the Public Improvement District care.”
Bill Rogers designed both boxes and said the new bold design and bright colors will become a landmark for the area.
“The butterfly is a metaphor,” he said, noting the neighborhood rejuvenation he has witnessed while spending time in the area. “I lived in Lake Highlands for many years and ate at a sandwich shop at Forest Audelia on a regular basis. I watched as business after business moved out. My sister recently moved in nearby, and it is clear things have improved.”
Traffic signal boxes have been decorated in other cities around Texas and across the country, including Flower Mound, Texas, Loveland, Ohio, and Brighton, Colorado. Richardson recently hosted a contest to find artists to decorate boxes at five locations around the city, with winners receiving $200 in prize money. Additional transportation boxes are planned for District 10 just north and just south of the new Skillman bridge spanning LBJ. They’ll be maintained by the PID.
