Streetlight Trouble Report
Seattle City Light operates about 84,000 streetlights throughout our service territory to help drivers and pedestrians stay safe at night.
If you believe that there is a malfunctioning streetlight that might be giving off an electrical charge, please report it immediately to one of our streetlight service representatives at
(206) 684-7056. They will want information about the location of the pole, pole number and major cross streets. If you believe the pole or the metal plate on the ground near the pole has an electrical charge, please stay away from it and report it to us. We will check the area and make any necessary repairs to ensure the area is safe.
To make sure those lights stay on, City Light has several efforts underway - a scheduled re-lamping program, a conversion to LED technology, and an online application where your can report and
track streetlight outages.
With the scheduled re-lamping program, City Light replaces lamps in a geographical area shortly before the end of their expected lifespan. This reduces the number of outages from burned out lamps. For high-pressure sodium lights, the replacement cycle is once every four years.
City Light has replaced about 58,000 lamps this way since 2008. By the end of 2011, crews will have replaced all the streetlights in our service territory, and then start over in 2012. During the process of replacing the streetlights, we have found some lamps that are malfunctioning or need more work than simply replacing the light. When this occurs, we have scheduled the necessary reapirs to be made.
Additionally, City Light is switching from high-pressure sodium lights to LEDs in residential areas, thanks in part to federal stimulus money. Crews will install 5,000 LED streetlights in 2010 and a total of 40,000 by the end of 2014. Take a look at our progress
here.
The LEDs are expected to last at least 12 years, increasing reliability and lowering maintenance costs. They also are expected to use at least 40 percent less energy than our current lights. Once all 40,000 lights are installed, the combined savings is projected to be $2.4 million per year. For arterial roads and commercial areas, City Light has started several pilot projects to test
LED lighting.
When a streetlight does fail,and a customer reports the light as out, City Light has a goal to respond to the reported outage within 10 business days. That means the light will be fixed or, if the repair is more complicated, City Light will contact you with an explanation of the work that needs to be done and how long it could take. You can track the progress of a reported streetlight that is out
here.
We appreciate your help in finding lights that are out or are malfunctioning. You can report them electronically, using the
Streetlight Trouble Report Form, via phone at (206) 684-7056 or via email at
street.light@seattle.gov.
Here is the information you'll need to report a light that is out:
- The light pole number and the street name the light is directed over. Seattle City Light is currently in the process of renumbering our poles so you may see two pole numbers. Please use the number resembling the image here.
- The address nearest the pole is also needed to assist in locating the correct pole.
- What is the nature of the problem? (Examples: Pole down, light burned out, light on in daylight, light goes on then off, glare, etc.)
- Your name and phone number in case we have questions and need to follow up with you.
When you're ready, the online form is
here. It's easy. Just complete the form, and when you're done, click the "Submit Trouble Report" button at the end.
If you have questions about a streetlight, you can call us at (206) 684-7056 or send an email to
street.light@seattle.gov
Thank you for reporting streetlight problems!
