Why Are Street Lights Purple Maryland?
Story Topics – Residents across the country, including in central Maryland, are noticing some LED streetlights casting purple light. Some Maryland residents have wondered if it’s in honor of the Baltimore Ravens kicking off their season. But the purple streetlights are caused by a manufacturers defect.
- BGE crews will repair the malfunctioning lights as they are identified.
- Customers can help identify the location of these lights by reporting them online using BGE’s online street light repair map,
- Once reported, BGE crews will work to replace these streetlights.
- They can also use this new tool to report other streetlight issues – such as flickering lights, non-working lights, damage, or other issues.
The reporting tool features an interactive map to help identify the streetlight’s location. Customers can enter contact information to receive status updates including estimated repair time. The interactive map also will show if the issue has already been reported or if it is related to a power outage.
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Why are some street lights purple in Maryland?
A year after Baltimore Gas and Electric said a manufacturer defect caused LED street lights to change color, the problem persists in parts of Maryland.
Why are they putting purple street lights?
Why hundreds of Vancouver street lights are turning purple | CBC News
- There’s disagreement about what hue the street lights currently are in parts of downtown Vancouver, but they’re definitely not white.
- Perhaps “light blue,” “definitely purple,” or “black light-ish” — all depending on who you ask walking under their glow on Davie Street, near Richards.
- Nancy and Sebastian Schlote have been puzzling about the new street light colour while out on walks, and came up with their own theories.
“I thought they were experimenting with something, like energy savings,” Nancy theorized. Sebastian was looking at it from a safety angle. “Maybe easier to see people crossing,” he said. The issue of the odd-coloured lighting hasn’t only arisen in Vancouver.B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation says it has had to replace around two dozen lights on Vancouver Island so far.
- And Manitoba Hydro says it has so far replaced close to 1,000 defective street lights in that province, with another 750 likely needing replacement.
- The purple glow has also been seen all over the United States, in places like Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska and Kansas.
- WATCH | Vancouver residents react to the purple street lights:
Some street lights in Vancouver have turned purple and residents are wondering why.
- While the indigo lights have also spawned theories online about everything from vampires to vaccines, the City of Vancouver says the LED street lights now shining purple are the result of a manufacturing defect.
- “There is a coating on these fixtures that has failed,” said Eric Mital, with the City of Vancouver’s engineering department.
Vancouver is working to replace the more than 100 purple lights reported since the lights started changing colour last year. The fixtures were all installed between 2017 and 2019 and remain under warranty, the city said, so replacing them will not cost taxpayers. Purple street lights have also been spotted in Winnipeg, like this post in the city’s Osborne Village neighbourhood. (Tyson Koschik/CBC) It turns out the LED’s true colour is what is shining through. David Beron is president and CEO of RAB Design Lighting in Etobicoke, Ont., which manufactures a wide variety of LED fixtures, though not street lights. David Beron, of RAB Design Lighting, in Etobicoke, Ont., says the blue or purple colour showing through on the defective street lights is the actual colour of the LEDs. (Chris Langenzarde/CBC)
- Current purple problem notwithstanding, Beron says LED technology provides a lower maintenance and more energy efficient lighting system — and continues to improve.
- “The difference between a traditional street light and an LED is what they call lumen maintenance, so the stability of the colour and the light coming out should be significantly more stable and more consistent over its lifetime than one of the traditional light sources,” he said.
The combination of the yellow phosphor coating and purple or blue light below is what results in a white shine. (Chris Langenzarde/CBC) The City of Vancouver is working to replace all 55,000 of its outdoor lights with LEDs, starting with approximately 44,000 of the street ones in the next four years.
Once all the lights are converted, the city estimates it will save $1.65 million on energy and another $650,000 in labour costs annually. While cities across the continent work to bring back the white lights, not everyone minds the current look. Christina James was not bothered by the light while out walking her dog.
“I do actually like the look. I like it when things are glowing different colours,” she said. “I would actually be a little disappointed; I kind of like the vibe.” Cool vibe or not, the City of Vancouver says the Halloween hues can’t stay. Despite the issue with these street lights, experts say LED technology provides a lower maintenance and more energy-efficient lighting system. (Susana da Silva/CBC) : Why hundreds of Vancouver street lights are turning purple | CBC News
What do you do if you see a purple street light?
I found LOTS of purple street lights tonight and was able to ask Duke Energy a few questions about them! The best way to help fix this problem is to report it to Duke Energy (800.777.9898) when you see a purple light, that way, crews will be able to repair them within a couple days.
What are the purple looking street lights?
As a business entity or recyclers, we need your help to curtail and end this endemic issue! –
More specifically, the City of Saint Paul is requesting any business, individual, or entity that receives, processes, recycles, or otherwise pays a third party (or person) for any recyclable materials (especially wire) to be cognizant of the negative impacts that wire theft is causing to the overall safety and livability in our neighborhoods and community. The City of Saint Paul asks for your partnership by rejecting any and all materials (including, but not limited to wire) that are suspected to have come from City lighting systems, and to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency when those suspicions can be confirmed. Your awareness, diligence, and cooperation of not accepting materials that are potentially stolen can deter wire theft, preserve this critical City infrastructure, and improve the community for all.
Saint Paul has had several reports of “purple-colored” street lights. This is not intentional by the City, but rather a manufacturer’s defect and failure of the LED bulb installed in many of the City’s “cobra style” street lights. If you see any street lights that have a purplish-hue or color to them, please report the number of street lights and location to Saint Paul’s Lighting Division at 651-266-9777.
Saint Paul Public Works is tracking and replacing the failing LED bulb units as they appear. There is no safety issue, but it is a nationwide manufacturing product issue that is appearing with the Autobahn lights that were installed between 2017 and 2019 as cobra style LED replacements. The 2018 estimates for lighting (streets only) is $4.3 million.
Approximately $627,000 is funded by the city’s general fund. The rest is funded by assessment fees. The 2021 rate is $0.58 per foot. The city also has “above standard” lighting in various areas across the city. The rates for the different lighting districts will vary due to several factors, including the number of lights in the district, routine maintenance, painting, light bulb replacement, light pole replacements and total electricity costs.
The 2021 rates (per foot) for Above Standard Lighting by district is: Lowertown ($7.27) Selby/Western ($1.24) Ford/Cleveland ($0.94) Grand East I ($1.32) Grand – West ($0.86) Grand – East II ($0.94) North Wabasha ($0.76) Smith Avenue ($2.77) Selby/Dale ($.45) Concord Phase I ($0.90) River Park Plaza ($6.09) Selby No.2 ($0.46) Wabasha/St.
Peter ($1.83) Snelling/Randolph ($0.09) East 7th/Payne/Minnehaha/Men ($1.02) CHCH (City Hall) ($2.87) United/Children’s ($0.30) Como/Snelling ($0.00) Dale/University/Minnehaha/Hatch ($0.57) Hamline University ($0.31) Downtown Acorns ($1.49) West 7th/Munster-Madison ($0.40) Suburban/WB Ruth ($0.38) White Bear/Beech-Reaney ($0.43) Rice/Sycamore-Rose ($0.39) White Bear/Hoyt-Larpenteur ($0.43) Payne/Whitall-Orange ($1.45) Marshall/Cleveland-Wilder ($0.56) University/Emerald-Rice ($0.79) Snelling/Hague-Taylor ($0.67) Learn more about the City of Saint Paul’s and property owner’s fees for lighting, street sweeping, seal coating and/or mill and overlay projects.
Are the purple lights anti homeless?
Purple lights, flags aimed at increasing awareness of homeless.
What does a purple light outside someone’s house mean?
What Does a Purple Porch Light Mean? – If you ever see a purple porch light, it’s there to bring awareness to incidents of domestic violence. It can go undetected for far too long, especially if the victim feels they cannot leave due to a dangerous response from the attacker.
The Purple Light Nights movement not only aims to increase awareness of domestic violence, but also show those who suffer that there are safe spaces and people who stand with them. The movement’s motto is, “Shine a light and save a life.” Sometimes, survivors themselves will also use a purple porch light to stand in solidarity and show it can happen to anyone.
Watch for purple porch lights in October—Domestic Violence Awareness Month—and throughout the year.
