HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. – Neighbors in Highland Park are one step closer to a long-awaited improvement: new street lights.
“See, everybody got a light on their porch. The only light,” said Doris Baldwin, highlighting the community’s ongoing struggle with inadequate lighting.
Many residents hope the new street lights will make their blocks brighter and safer.
The lack of street lights has been a persistent issue for over a decade, affecting the community’s safety and security.
This issue was brought to light when Karen Drew spent 24 hours in Highland Park last year.
“We spent 24 hours in this community, really diving deep. Really want fixed,” said Drew, emphasizing the community’s need for better lighting.
Getting new street lights has been a top priority, and residents are finally seeing progress.
Recently, neighbors began noticing signs indicating that installation is about to start.
Those lawn signs popping up in parts of Highland Park bring many residents a sense of relief.
“When it gets dark, you better have something in your hand. Because I walk with a stick,” said Curtis Perry, a longtime resident of Louis Avenue.
He has long complained about living on a block without street lights, expressing safety concerns when conditions outside are dark.
This week, neighbors on Louis Avenue began seeing signs stating, “Your block is getting new street lights,” with installation set to begin on May 26.
“After about 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock at night, you can’t walk down certain streets. Certain blocks of the street. Like my block, it’s all dark,” Perry said, illustrating the dangers of walking in poorly lit areas.
Before her State of the City address in March, Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald said that grant funding enables the city to receive solar street lights.
“We’re also working with Solardarity and Solartronic. Solartronic is a manufacturing organization; they’re donating 50 lights to the city. That means we will have 50 new solar lights throughout the city,” said McDonald.
Residents along Florence Avenue also received notices that streetlight installation is coming next week.
Baldwin, who lives on Florence Avenue, mentioned that her block hasn’t had street lights for 20 years.
“Well, I don’t even go to the meetings on Wednesdays because the lights are out. It’s so dark; it looks like people start walking down the street, and you see, I’m on the alley,” Baldwin said.
She and her neighbors keep their porch lights on to stay vigilant and have added a lamp on her front lawn.
A Highland Park council member recently posted on a public social media forum that the lighting project is expected to last only a few weeks.
Baldwin expressed her relief about the upcoming installation.
“Oh, very bad. Like I said, it’s pitch black out here on this street without all of our porch lights,” Baldwin said.
As of Friday (May 23), neighbors are being urged to follow the parking recommendations when streetlight installation begins.
I’m still waiting to hear from representatives from Soulardarity about these streetlight donations.
However, neighbors did show me notices are being delivered door-to-door, saying the group plans to host a street light solar celebration for residents on June 13.
