AKRON — Dark streets in Akron are troubling a city councilman. Akron's Ward 2 Councilman Phil Lombardo has been tracking burnt-out street lights for six years.
"We've got a residential house here with several cars in the driveway. I believe the residents would appreciate their street lit up," said Lombardo, standing on Creighton Avenue in his ward.
Lombardo marks the dark pole with a bright pink ribbon, sometimes tying one on more than once.
"I just tie it around with a nice knot, and that lets First Energy know that this light needs to be repaired," said Lombardo.
The problem, Lombardo finds, is that for every light that gets fixed, he finds several more burnt out.
"This started last night with a full roll of ribbon, it's like as a big a lawnmower wheel. And you know, I'm out," said Lombardo.
FirstEnergy says Ohio Edison maintains 24,000 streetlights in the City of Akron. The company reported in 2024, crews repaired 3,920 streetlights, and about 94% of those repairs were completed within five days of receiving the streetlight outage report.
To report an outage to First Energy, 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) and say “streetlight” after the greeting. You can also report online here:
Be sure to have this information ready to go:
- Your name and phone number in case First Energy needs more information.
- Address where the streetlight is located, the nearest house or business address and the nearest cross street.
- The number on the utility pole.
- What is wrong with the streetlight, damaged pole, broken light fixture, light is off at night, on during the day, or flickers.
You can also watch this video created by First Energy for more information on reporting outages.
Akron residents can also report outages by calling 3-1-1 or using the app. FirstEnergy receives most of its streetlight reports during the fall and winter months.
The company will assess the problem and attempt to make routine repairs, such as replacing a bulb or photocell, as soon as possible. However, depending on the severity of the damage and the amount of work that needs to be done, repairs may take longer.
According to FirstEnergy, several factors can cause streetlight outages, regardless of how recently they were fixed. For example, an unrelated issue with an underground wire or damage to the light caused by elements out of our control, like vandalism or severe weather, can cause a new outage.
"There are definitely times where I've made the request either online on a weeknight and I see them that Saturday out on this road," said Lombardo.
However, his repeated requests still puzzle him. Lombardo said, "I don't know if it's a case of a bad batch of bulbs, I don't know if it's a case of a shortage of manpower. I don't know where my requests are ending up sometimes."
After months of repeated reports, Kerrie Ritchey said she turned to her councilman for help.
"My daughter works, and she comes home when its dark and she parks under that light and it was out. It's just safety, I always feel so much safer with the light on," said Ritchey.
Ritchey said Lombardo came out, tied a ribbon on, and filed his report.
"He put the ribbon on the pole and the next day it was fixed. If it could be done within two days, why wasn't it done two months ago? But, I'm glad that it's done," said Ritchey.
Keeping a meticulous spreadsheet, Lombardo said he's not finished until all the lights are turned back on.
"Anywhere in a city like Akron you want to be as safe as you can, and I love my little neighborhood. It was just important that all of our residents feel safe. The lights are important," said Ritchey.
"If it's broke, let's fix it," said Lombardo.
