detroit in the dark: how the city's streetlights went out and the plan to get them back on - all in one solar street light

DETROIT —
Used to be one of the most solemn streets in the car city-
A winding avenue surrounded the former bustling inner city.
It is sometimes known that this avenue is where GM opened its first headquarters, and Berry godi created the Morton records.
It is also home to some of Detroit's most beautiful neighborhoods, where early residents of the city built a large number of art deco houses, in line with the once prestigious address.
But decades later, driving along the big road is another matter.
Especially at night.
When the house is still there
Some people are divided into apartments. some people are just empty.
The towering street lights installed by city planners illuminate what they think is a major gateway in central Detroit, mostly dark.
Some people have been there for years.
The result is a bit of an eerie experience, usually the only lighting on the street comes from a traffic light or a glowing front porch.
On some of the more desolate sections, passing cars light most of the empty streets with bright beams.
Otherwise residents who may be out and out will choose to stay at home and be wary of what they may encounter in the dark.
"I'm not going to church at night," said a woman named Adina, who declined to give her last name, saying she rushed home from the convenience store just before sunset on the last Tuesday night.
People were robbed and burglary increased.
"You just don't feel safe," she explained . ".
Detroit is full of problems, and officials estimate at least half of the city's 88,000 street lights are broken.
In addition to the abandoned buildings dotted with urban landscapes, the dark lights are the most obvious evidence of the financial problem that led to Detroit's bankruptcy last summer, which seeks to borrow from about $18 billion in debt.
When the lights go out, the city can't afford to turn the lights back on and keep them.
The Detroit Public Lighting Department, the underfunded and understaffed entity responsible for repairing street lights, has been "constantly sorting" for years trying to fix a lighting system, in some areas, too old, officials say, it must be opened manually at night.
Only where the lights still work.
In many areas, this is not only a problem with the light bulb burning.
Along the Great Boulevard and other main streets, many lights do not work because the small sneaked copper wires connecting the lights and electrical systems.
In addition, about 20% of the city's street lights run on circuits designed to be old Christmas string --
That is to say, if a lamp goes out, it goes out in a few blocks.
"Detroit is an old city and we run on a very old system
Odis Jones, head of the Detroit Public Lighting Authority, said: "Sometimes it's windy . "
A group was created to work with the city to turn the lights back on.
It was almost a war to hear city workers tell it to keep Detroit's lights on.
On December, maintenance workers will be re-wired.
It was found to be broken again the next day because the thief stole the copper wire again.
In some communities they will come back looking for the newly installed bulbs
It is clearly an effort by criminals to use dark streets to rob victims or deprive stolen cars.
In addition, there are currently only 85 workers in the lighting department, compared with only 500 workers about 20 years ago.
They are in charge of a system built for the first time in the 1800 s that has not been updated for nearly 40 years.
When other major cities monitor street lights with computers, Detroit's street lights are tracked on a huge wall map marked with color pins dating back to 1950.
Until recently, less than 10 maintenance workers had repaired the lights full-time on Detroit's 140-square-mile street.
According to a report from the local Fox Company, in November, the workers shared only one truck and walked around the city.
Everything else is broken.
This is surprising for many of the challenges Detroit faces, but it is not the only one.
It takes almost an hour on average for the police to respond to serious calls.
The fire department, burdened with old equipment, was overwhelmed when dealing with arson in an estimated 78,000 abandoned buildings in the city.
Retirees in the city are on the verge of worrying that their pensions could be cut as Detroit struggles to pay off its huge debts.
But that's not why the lights are on all the time.
Basic services in any city, big or small-
This has had the darkest impact on residents trying to survive here.
But that will change soon.
Two years ago, the government
Rick Snyder and the State Council have established the Detroit public lighting authority to restore lighting.
Initial support of $12.
5 million of urban utility tax revenue, the authority has been charged with issuing about $0. 21 billion in bonds to pay for the new lighting system
The plan was opposed by many of Detroit's creditors in bankruptcy, arguing that Detroit should not borrow any more money when it is now unable to even pay its bills.
But the federal judge, who oversees Detroit's bankruptcy, signed an agreement to initially issue $60 million in bonds, agreeing that if Detroit continues to be in the dark, it will have no chance of recovery.
The authorities hired Jones last year.
A native of Detroit who oversees the economic development of Cincinnati and New Jersey
Supervise the work of rebuilding the lighting system.
Although he has worked in troubled cities before
Including Camden and Newark. J. —
Given Detroit's history, Jones is not sure if he wants the job or whether it will certainly be a difficult task.
But on one of his visits, Jones drove back to the old community in eastern Detroit, where he found his old street in the dark.
"It's shameful," Jones said . "
"Going back to the old neighborhood and seeing the impact of the economy, the reduction in investment and the lights going out was overwhelming for me. . . .
I'm sitting there wondering if I really want to do this, but if you're really a civil servant, that's the job you're being asked to do, and that's impressive to me.
Street lights are not just a basic part of living in cities, he said;
They have an impact on the "mind.
"Detroit is a bit different from other cities because we spent a lot of time on the front porch here," Jones said, "as a resident, you can quickly say how you feel about the city moving. ".
"You can see the garbage picked up.
You can see how the police reacted.
You can see the children walking to school.
But one problem is that people just don't see it, which has a negative subconscious effect on how people feel about the city.
"Urban workers have been struggling in recent months to try to fix an outdated lighting system because many parts are no longer manufactured.
But last month, Jones persuaded the lighting authority to approve a comprehensive reform of the system by using funds to install LED lamps, which are brighter, cheaper and longer-lived than ordinary bulbs.
Many cities, including Los Angeles and New York, are converting LED lights.
According to Jones's plan, Detroit will "relocate" all its blocks within 18 months --
Faster than the first three.
Annual targets set last year.
But the city will not turn all the lights on.
According to the current plan, the city's street lights will be reduced by about 40%, in part because of the removal of the lights in most of the empty neighborhoods.
On these streets, there will be a light at a crossroads, but there will be no normal two or three lights below the block.
The two blocks designated as the new LED light pilot last fall will be completed this spring --
Although this is not fast enough for some people in the city.
"You eat an elephant at a time," Jones said . " He asked for patience.
"We want things to go smoothly, we want things to go the right way, it takes time.
"But an unknown question is whether the agency is able to borrow the $0. 15 billion needed to complete the overhaul.
Although the authority's funds are technically separate from the city, its bonds are issued through the state
Managing the Michigan Monetary Authority, the funds will be repaid with revenues from the Detroit utility tax.
Since the city has filed for bankruptcy, Moody's Investor Services has set the issuance of bonds as "negative credit "--
Warn creditors not to go because they are unlikely to be repaid.
But Jones hopes this will succeed, although he quickly admits that there may be "learning moments" in the process, especially when Detroit is trying to rebuild in the context of bankruptcy.
"It's a challenge, but it's a great opportunity," Jones said . ".
"The city will come out of this shining city.
He hopes to be true.