May 15 Ward 3 meeting and June 12 Ward 6 meeting
Covered by Documenters Wittman Sullivan (see his notes here) and Gigi Fuhry (see her notes here)
At the May 15 Ward 3 meeting, Akron residents again raised concerns about persistent streetlight outages across the city. Utilities Coordinator Joe Kunzler acknowledged the problem, calling Akron’s streetlight situation “embarrassing.”
He pointed to a mix of outdated infrastructure, wire theft and cost barriers that have stalled a full transition to LED lighting.
Multiple causes for streetlight outages
During the June 12 Ward 6 meeting, Kunzler told residents that street light outages are caused by many things, including:
- Limited control because of an agreement with Ohio Edison, which maintains most streetlights.
- Slow and expensive conversion to LED lights, which currently cost the city more both from a hardware standpoint (LEDs cost more up front but use less energy over time) and because it is paying a favorable low rate in an energy program (ESIP) that will go away with new lights.
- An increase in thefts in the last several years. Kunzler said LED lights are on black/silver-colored, steel/metal/fiberglass light poles and have wire running underground feeding them electricity. Thieves are stealing the underground wire. The city is working to catch thieves, including installation of video cameras. Also, Kunzler said that lights are being left on to curb thefts.
- Line cuts due to construction digging because of fiber network installations for high-speed internet, lead pipe service replacements and water and sewer repairs, Kunzler said. When these projects have a backhoe dig into the ground, lines powering lights can be disrupted. The city will require projects to run their work through any underground conduits, if available, to try to limit disruption to nearby lines, he said.
- Rodents chew on underground wire — for example, Kunzler said, city workers recently found a dead squirrel near a light pole and believe the squirrel shorted out the pole.
- Mechanical issues and older infrastructure that, on hot days, cause the light poles to lose power because a new or bigger transformer is needed for the area.
- Tree roots can damage underground wires, Kunzler said. Lights on wooden light poles with aerial electrical lines are more reliable.
- Careless drivers and accidents that involve light poles, especially in roundabouts, can be a cause of outages.
LEDs cost more up front, despite long-term savings
The City of Akron said that most of its streetlights are maintained by Ohio Edison, which provides the city with a lower-than-average electric rate for streetlights through the Efficiency Safety Incentive Program (ESIP).The lower rate through this program would not be available to Akron if it switches to LED lighting.
Completely switching to LED lighting, city officials said, would increase Akron’s annual energy costs by more than $800,000.
City officials explained that, while LEDs consume about 40% less energy and need less maintenance over time, replacing entire fixtures can be expensive.
At the same time, the city is dealing with higher maintenance costs. Many high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights have remained in service since the 1970s. They have required minimal upkeep. As major manufacturers have phased out production, the city now relies on third-party bulbs. These bulbs don’t last as long according to officials.
Only about 10% of Akron’s streetlights have been converted to LED so far. The city stated that they have concentrated these upgrades in historic business districts — sometimes referred to as “Great Streets” — and alongside major road projects such as those on Main Street between Cedar and Perkins, East Exchange near the University of Akron and Romig Road. For lights owned by Ohio Edison, repairs are made based on resident complaints.
At this time, there is no citywide timeline for a full LED transition, according to city officials.
Wire theft and outages a recurring issue
Residents spoke about outages in specific areas, including near the All-America Bridge, also called the Y Bridge. Kunzler said the wiring there has been vandalized multiple times.
On streets with fewer homes — like Dart and Rand avenues and Bartges Street — copper wire theft is more common, he said. In these areas, the city is making changes such as replacing copper wire with aluminum, stringing wires overhead where possible and leaving lights on all day to deter theft.
When asked if LED lights are more likely to be stolen, Kunzler said theft depends more on wire access than bulb type.
Reporting and repair process remains opaque
Streetlight outages are reported to Ohio Edison via 311, the city’s mobile app, or directly to the utility. Kunzler said the city doesn’t receive updates on the status of reported outages and response times vary.
Besides 311, Kunzler said residents can reach out to the city by:
- Reporting vandalism to Akron Police at 330-375-2181 or 330-375-2101
- Calling 1-800-633-4766 if the lighting fixture is a wood pole with an aerial line.
- Calling or emailing Kunzler (330-212-2593, jkunzler@akronohio.gov) if there is an unlit LED light pole (black or silver). This works for a construction project that damaged the sidewalk and was not repaired properly.
What remains unclear is when or how repairs happen or if anyone with the city is keeping track.
Still, as the city works through infrastructure challenges, reporting outages remains a key way for residents to prompt repairs and support progress toward more reliable street lighting.