Gale Brewer’s Office Identifies 65 Faulty Streetlights in First-Ever Street Light Survey

The first-ever street light survey results are in, literally shedding light on darkened streets across the Upper West Side.

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Between January 29 and February 14, a dedicated team of volunteers for New York City Council Member Gale Brewer’s office braved the cold to assess street lighting conditions, identifying at least 65 nonfunctional, flickering, or missing street lights across our district. The findings have been mapped and sent to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for follow-up, with some lights already repaired.

“We decided to take on the survey because we had a high volume of complaints recently about street lights going out,” Brewer’s Director of Policy & Communications Sam Goldsmith told ILTUWS. “We like taking surveys to find out what’s really going on instead of relying on 311 data alone.”

This marks the first time Brewer’s office has mapped faulty streetlights in such a way, providing an organized and visual representation of the problem. While the city’s 311 system allows residents to report broken streetlights, the survey serves as a proactive effort to identify widespread issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

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“Surveys are a big thing for Gale, but this is the first street light survey,” Goldsmith noted. Their office has previously seen success with similar initiatives, including surveys on graffiti and unlicensed smoke shops, which helped lead to tangible improvements in our community.

The Department of Transportation’s response has reportedly been positive. “They’re always responsive and they’re good partners to our office,” added Goldsmith. “They responded and acknowledged that they’ll look into it and are working on it.”

Residents can continue to report out-of-order streetlights online or by calling 311 to ensure the Upper West Side remains well-lit and safe for all.

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