CM on streetlight maintenance delays and Con Ed coordination

And my last question is on streetlights.

In fiscal 2025, it took DOT an average of 5.3 calendar days to repair streetlights, which is a 20.5% increase from 4.4 days in fiscal 24 and 76% slower than the three days in fiscal 21.

It took Con Ed 22 calendar days on average to repair streetlights, which is 17.6% slower than the 18.7 days in fiscal 2024 and 45.7% slower than the 50.1 days in fiscal 21.

The MMR indicates that DOT delays were due to weather-related outages and coordination issues with utilities during underground infrastructure.

No explanation of the Con Ed performance decline was included.

The executive plan has an additional $1.5 million in fiscal 26 only for the streetlight maintenance.

What will this money go towards?

Is this money going towards already existing contracts for streetlight maintenance?

Chair, yes it is.

So this funding is going toward already existing contracts with the vendors, what it sounds like.

I'm a little concerned about that.

With this money, will this money be directly used to increase coordination times with Con Ed?

So we meet with Con Ed very often.

In fact, I met with them this week on various issues.

We are constantly talking with them.

But what is happening with our street lighting system is that overall it's pretty aged.

And we have, whenever we have a Con Ed issue, oftentimes it has something to do with the underground conduit needing to be replaced.

And that is not just changing a bulb.

It's more than a quick repair.

So you're raising a valid issue.

It is something that we are working on both internally with our contractors and with Con Ed.

I mean, between now and adoption, is there some way to add resources to focus in on increasing the coordination?

Because it's something that we hear, you know, time on end.

This is a basic and essential function of the department.

If this funding is not being used to coordinate with Con Ed or to speed up streetlight maintenance,

You know, I then have to ask, what is the DOT doing differently?

Because the current contract.

and systems of operation in place doesn't seem to be working well.

Right, so the coordination is not something that we need funding for.

Again, it kind of comes back to the physical plant, the infrastructure itself, and we're also looking at

advancing some capital projects for larger areas in each borough where we know that the street lighting infrastructure is old and needs to be replaced in order to be reliable.

So that's kind of the area that we're looking toward in the future.