Brighten Up The Block, Detroit!
Mayor Mary Sheffield and the Public Lighting Authority are investing $10 million to bring mid-block lighting to thousands of residential streets across Detroit.
For years, Detroit residents have raised concerns about dark stretches on their blocks. When the city rebuilt its street lighting system in 2014-2015, the upgrades restored lighting across main corridors and intersections to meet national illumination standards. But many residential blocks were left without adequate mid-block coverage.
Mayor Sheffield has championed this issue since her time as City Council President and throughout her mayoral campaign. Today, the city is taking action: the PLA will install at least 3,000 new mid-block lights on residential streets, improving neighborhood safety and quality of life across all seven council districts.
What’s Happening
The Public Lighting Authority will install at least 3,000 new mid-block streetlights on residential blocks across Detroit, funded by a $10 million investment. The initiative focuses on areas where gaps in coverage have left portions of residential streets without adequate lighting.
Community Input Meetings
Before finalizing the lighting plan, the City of Detroit and the PLA will host community input meetings in every City Council district during the month of April. At these meetings, residents will have the opportunity to:
- Review initial findings on where mid-block lighting gaps exist
- Share feedback about where additional lighting is most needed in their neighborhoods
- Help guide the final placement of new lights
Community feedback will directly shape where lights are placed.
| Council District | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 1 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 2 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 3 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 4 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 5 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 6 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| District 7 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Timeline
| April 2026 | Community input meetings across all seven council districts |
| June 2026 | Final plan presented for PLA Board and Detroit City Council approval |
| July 2026 | Installation of new mid-block lights begins |
| November 2026 | Goal for completing the initial phase of installation |
What Comes Next
Share Your Input
Use the survey below to let us know where additional mid-block lighting is most needed in your neighborhood.
This initiative represents the first phase of a broader effort to address additional lighting needs across Detroit. Future phases may include alley lighting and decorative lighting improvements in some of the city’s historic districts.
Questions?
Call the Public Lighting Authority at (313) 324-8290 or email info@pladetroit.org.