Syracuse City Council Meeting on Street Light Program - April 27, 2026

The meeting provided a comprehensive overview of the city's street light program, covering the current status of LED lighting, plans for a new smart city sensor system, and challenges with National Grid coordination. City staff presented data on existing fixtures, discussed neighborhood lighting equity, and outlined a proposal to replace the aging sensor platform over three years.

Discussion Items

• Street Light Program Status: Ken Towski reported approximately 18,800 lights citywide, including 880 interstate lights and 500 underpass lights. All lights are LED; new additions will be LED as well. The city owns about 1,500 aluminum poles, 3,000 decorative fixtures, and 500 wood poles; National Grid owns most wood poles. The city pays for power and maintenance on interstate lights.
• Lighting Equity and Safety: Councilor Caldwell noted stark differences in brightness between neighborhoods (e.g., her well-lit neighborhood vs. darker areas). Towski explained that wattage varies (35W to 110W) and that brighter white lights are used on Delaware Street and Richmond to improve safety. He acknowledged a desire to expand this but cited cost (estimated $10-15 million for a full citywide replacement) and the recent 2019 LED conversion.
• National Grid Coordination: Towski described a 6-month process to add a light to a National Grid pole due to Verizon and Grid assessments. The city can bypass this by installing its own wood poles (done for 17 poles on side streets), which can be connected by Grid in under a week. Councilors expressed frustration with Grid’s bureaucracy; Towski is working with Grid to expedite.
• Smart City Sensor Replacement: The city needs to replace the current sensor system (hardware no longer manufactured, software support ending). An RFP yielded 12 responses; after interviews, staff recommend Ubiquitous (cell-based hardware). The new system will allow proactive monitoring. The three-year cost includes hardware, software, and installation. Year one focuses on decorative fixtures ($1.4 million from CIP funds previously approved for I-81 lighting). The remaining years will cover cobra-head fixtures.
• I-81 Project and License Plate Readers: The I-81 project includes new decorative poles with sensors; the city must supply sensors to the contractor soon to avoid retrofitting costs. New sensors will integrate with Axon license plate readers. Towski noted that an asset inventory will track all attachments on poles.
• ADA Compliance and Pole Location: Councilor raised concerns about aluminum poles obstructing ADA sidewalks. Towski confirmed those are city-owned and will be addressed through engineering in upcoming projects (similar to West Genesee Street relocations).
• Comprehensive Lighting Plan: Councilors requested a citywide assessment of lighting needs, especially in underlit, high-poverty neighborhoods. Towski suggested a phased approach: when sensors are replaced, lights can be upgraded to brighter white LEDs. No formal plan exists, but staff are open to developing one.

Key Outcomes

• No votes were taken, but the council indicated support for the sensor replacement proposal and discussed bringing it to a future agenda, potentially with a waiver for faster consideration. The new system is time-sensitive due to the I-81 project needs. The city will use existing CIP funds ($500,000 for I-81 lighting) and the 2026-27 CIP to cover year-one costs. Towski committed to compiling a list of ADA-interfering poles for review.