DETROIT – Residents in two pilot project neighborhoods in Detroit are about to see something they have not seen in a long time -- functioning street lights.
Detroit's new Public Lighting Authority recently completed a survey in those areas. The east side zone was bordered by 8 Mile Road and Houston-Whittier on the north and south and Kelly Road and Hoover on the east and west.
Survey: 45% of lights in 2 Detroit neighborhoods not working
Of the 3,194 lights in that area, 1,417 were not working.
The west side zone was bordered by McNichols Road and Fenkell Avenue on the north and south, and the Southfield Freeway and Telegraph Road on the east and west.
Of the 1,745 lights surveyed, 794 were out.
Doris Williams lives at Collingham and Brock streets in the east side zone. She said the broken lights are a safety issue for children.
"I've got grandkids that go to school and it's very dark in the morning. I usually get up early and watch them," Williams said.
Doris Williams said she was happy to learn that the street light replacement work will begin Friday on her street.
The replacement work in the two pilot project neighborhoods begins at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Public Lighting Authority has set a long-term goal of replacing all broken and non-functioning street lights across the city within the next three years.