DEFECTIVE STREET LIGHT? MAYBE NOT!

The Street Lighting Department has let us know that Philadelphia street lights are on photocell-timers that react to light levels (i.e. they are supposed to turn on when daylight fades to a certain point). As the lightpoles are in different locations experiencing different light levels, some turn on earlier or later than others. Thus the Lighting Dept. has been getting many calls from people complaining that a light is not working, when in reality it simply hasn't illuminated yet. (They often tell callers to wait an hour or so and check again. 9 times out of 10 the caller does not get back to them, which we hope means that the lights are really functioning.)

For all defective street light requests, residents may call either the Street Lighting Department's 24-hour number at (215) 686-5610 or their Customer Affairs Unit at (215) 686-5560 between