Social media post prompts action on dark streetlights
The city of Oklahoma City and OG&E released a phone number residents can call to submit reports of out-of-order streetlights.
The number is 272-9741 and rings to an OG&E customer service line.
To report of an out-oforder fixture, officials said residents should be prepared with detailed information on the location of the streetlight.
A downtown resident, Cody Lusnia, recently posted on social media findings that he had mapped, using an iPhone, 419 nonworking streetlights and sidewalk lights downtown and in Midtown.
His posts caught the attention of the city council. City Manager Jim Couch said last week that the city was responding and added, “It shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t have gotten to this level.”
Some streetlights are maintained by the city, others are maintained by OG&E, and others are the responsibility of individual property owners.
The city said Tuesday it was in the process of fixing about 220 of its streetlights. About 40 maintained by OG&E downtown have recently been repaired.
In instances when OG&E’s customer service line is unstaffed, the city said to follow the automated system’s directions. When prompted say “outage,” then say “light” or press 6.
OG&E can assist in determining who is responsible for maintenance of a streetlight reported to be out.
If the streetlight is maintained by the city of Oklahoma City, OG&E will notify the city of the outage.
The city uses a contractor to repair the streetlights it maintains.
As nonworking streetlights are repaired, those that remain out are most likely affected by ongoing construction or are privately maintained.
Lusnia said last month he found the nonworking lights in an area bordered by Reno Avenue, E.K. Gaylord/Broadway, NW 10 Street and Classen Boulevard during nighttime walks he made over three evenings.
“I’m just calling attention to the problem,” he told The Oklahoman . “I hate to say it’s a simple issue, but if you didn’t have a light working in your house, you’d replace it.”