Restler presses DOT on streetlight and sidewalk lighting compliance

On lighting, this has been one of the areas that I will admit I have been most frustrated with the Department of Transportation.

The Vision Zero plan includes some references to improving lighting.

Last year, we passed Local Law 178 of 2025 that requires DOT to install pedestrian sidewalk lighting on 300 commercial corridor blocks per year, places like Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.

The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

Is DOT prepared to start installing lighting in compliance with this new law in January, and do you have the resources to do so?

Thank you, Councilmember.

You know, I can say since I started in this role, it's become very clear to me just how much lighting affects the daily lives of New Yorkers.

It's come up in almost all of my conversations with elected officials and partners, communities, and I hear that.

You know, I think what I can say is that what we're seeing is that a lot of the infrastructure out there.

Is showing its age and some fixes can be done very quickly and then others are more complex.

Sometimes it's aging cables and bases to the lights.

Some of them are just so old that they need a full replacement of the light.

So we've been working to expand our contract capacity, and this has been a big area of focus for me and our team, is just really being able to be more nimble and expand our ability to fix the streetlights.

I am happy to hear that it's been a priority for you.

I will say I think it's one of the areas that...

Undermines goodwill and confidence in DOT when lights don't get fixed in a timely manner.

And when we have lights that are dark, it undermines our safety.

And we light for the streets and not the sidewalks when most of us walk.

And so I really think this is an area we need to prioritize.

We have not yet heard whether DOT has the resources they need to comply with this new local law.

So I would welcome a briefing on that and how you're improving lighting.

Similarly, we have significant challenges around street lights.

So not the lights on the streets, but the lights at the intersections.

If I made that distinction clear.

In the MMR, the average number of days to repair a street light increased from 5.3 to 8.5 days.

For years, years, it was under three days.

What's the reason behind this unacceptable delay, and does DOT have a plan to bring that time back down?

So it's still a requirement that our contractors need to evaluate repairs within 10 days at each location.

But like I said, some are more complex.

We were having some challenges with some of our contracts and the ways that we fix streetlights.

You know, I think what you said is spot on.

If I would paraphrase, I think something the mayor says a lot, right?

It's like.

The public needs to see that we can address the small things to trust us to do the big things, right?

And we take that very seriously.

And that's why, yes, the answer to your question is yes, this is a focus area.

And we're working very hard to improve here.

If the chair allows, I'll come back for round two.

I'll just say and conclude.

I'll just say.

We're thrilled about many of the street safety projects that are happening across our district.

Work started on Adam Street yesterday.

McGinnis is just about completed, making the area in Eastern Greenpoint around PS 110 safer with the new innovative diverters that you all are installing.

These are transformational projects that will save lives, dramatically improve safety across our communities, and I am deeply grateful for the leadership of DOT.

For the first time in years, there's no political resistance at City Hall.

You guys are able to just plow ahead and do the work and make the improvements happen that we all need to see around our districts.

I do want to continue to harp on these operational issues, street lighting and the intersection, the street lights are really important issues that I don't think have gotten the attention they deserve at DOT over an extended period of time.

Fixing this stuff is hard, but it's really important, and I'm eager to see progress.

The MMR did not yet show that progress, and so we're eager to get some updates from the agency on how we can turn things around.

I'm going to come back for round two, but thank you so much again, Chair.