STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — For decades, the glow from a streetlight across from Elna Johnson’s Port Richmond home lit her hallway each night.
So when the light suddenly went dark in early September, the 82-year-old widow immediately noticed. More than a month later, after five calls to 311 and multiple follow-ups to the borough president’s office, she said it remains out, leaving much of her block in darkness.
“I don’t really want to go out at night,” said Johnson, who has called the North Shore neighborhood home for nearly 34 years.
Johnson is one of several Staten Islanders who shared concerns about outages they say have persisted despite repeated requests for repairs.
Residents from across the borough, including West Brighton, Eltingville and Great Kills, shared similar frustrations over what they described as prolonged outages and unresolved 311 complaints.
A recent analysis of 311 data by the Advance/SILive.com found 210 streetlight-related complaints were filed on Staten Island during a recent seven-day period, including 189 reports categorized as “Street Light Out” and 15 reports of multiple streetlights being out. The week showed a complaint rate roughly 29% higher than the preceding weeks, according to the numbers.
The streetlight in Port Richmond that Johnson says has remained out for more than a month despite repeated 311 complaints.(Advance/SILive.com | Maria Vittoria Ravaioli)
The growing number of complaints has drawn the attention of elected officials.
The Staten Island Borough President’s Office said delays involving city Department of Transportation agreements with private contractors have contributed to a backlog of streetlight repairs.
“We share the frustrations of the folks who call us regarding streetlights that do not work,” the office said in a statement. “NYC DOT maintains agreements with private contractors to do that work. Unfortunately, those agreements have been delayed, and those delays have created a backlog ….”
New York state Assemblymember Michael Reilly, a Republican who represents the South Shore, also pressed city officials for an explanation during a quarterly meeting earlier this month hosted by New York City Department of Transportation Borough Commissioner Roseanne Caruana, which included representatives from several city and state government agencies.
Reilly said his office raised the issue of streetlight outages with government agencies during the meeting in response to information provided by the Advance/SiLive.com.
“For a period of time, there was no contractor in place to handle streetlight repairs,” Reilly said.
“I have also asked DOT to speak with me directly so we can get additional information about the contractor situation, including why there was a period without a contractor and what we can expect moving forward,” he added.
According to the Reilly, the city DOT informed his office it has secured contractors to address the backlog.
However, the DOT disputed claims of a contractor shortage, saying there had not been a lapse in streetlight maintenance coverage in any of the five boroughs.
“New Yorkers deserve safe, well-lit streets, and NYC DOT takes streetlight outages seriously,” a DOT spokesperson said. “Every reported outage is assessed within 10 days, and our crews work to restore service as quickly as possible.”
Streetlights illuminate portions of Fairfield Street in Great Kills while other sections remain dark. Residents across Staten Island have reported ongoing streetlight outages and delays in repairs.(Advance/SILive.com | Jessica Jones-Gorman)
While city officials continue to debate the scope of the problem, residents who reached out to the Advance/SILive.com said the outages are affecting neighborhoods across the borough.
Among them is Mark Teitler, 57, of Sunnyside, who said he reported a streetlight outage near Cheshire Place and Melrose Avenue that has remained unresolved for months, despite repeated efforts to raise the issue through 311 and city officials.
“It’s not just a streetlight,” Teitler said. “It’s about the feeling of safety.”
He said darkened streets can create safety concerns for motorists, pedestrians and residents navigating neighborhoods after sunset.
“It’s dangerous for streetlights to be out, and it gives a sense of insecurity for the people in the neighborhood,” he said.
The DOT website stated that contractors “must respond within 10 days” to address streetlight outages. However, some residents reported longer response times.
The average time this year to close out a repair request is 15 days, although that closure period can take longer in certain instances, according to DOT spokespeople.
The department said some outages require extensive electrical or infrastructure repairs, while others can be resolved through simpler maintenance work.