Item No. 23.
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: MATTHEW BAUMGARDNER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER DATE: JULY 28, 2026
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF THE THREE-YEAR STREET LIGHT INSTALLATION PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will consider the adoption of the Three -Year Streetlight Installation Plan, to address lighting deficiencies on residential streets. The Plan was developed through a needs assessment that identified residential street segments lacking adequate street lighting and ranked them using a scoring methodology reflecting criteria approved by the City Council at its March 24, 2026 meeting.
Over Fiscal Years 2026-2027 through 2028-2029, the Plan funds installation of 246 new solar LED street lights across the 50 highest -ranked street segments at a total construction cost of $1,430,244, plus $69,756 in contingency, fully within the City's existing $500,000 annual Citywide Streetlight Program allocation using State and County local return funds.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
1. Adopt the Three -Year Street Light Installation Plan, funding the 50 highest -ranked street segments (246 new street lights) for Fiscal Years 2026-27 through 2028-29 within the existing $500,000 annual Citywide Streetlight Program Capital Improvement Program (CIP) allocation; and,
2. Authorize the Director of Public Works/City Engineer to proceed with installation in accordance with the adopted schedule and to procure materials under the City's existing cooperative purchasing agreements.
BACKGROUND
Existing Conditions
The City of Downey maintains an inventory of streetlighting installed predominantly as high-pressure sodium cobra - head luminaires powered through Southern California Edison circuits, supplemented in recent years by LED conversions and solar installations. Notwithstanding this existing inventory, corridors throughout the City, particularly within residential neighborhoods, are often lacking lighting.
Residential Streetlight Program
The City began addressing this need through the Residential Streetlight Pilot Program. Most recently, on March 10, 2026, the City Council approved a contract with Fonroche Lighting America for the construction of 16 new solar streetlights serving three residential blocks, at a contract cost of $184,339 plus a 15 percent contingency of $27,650, or approximately $11,521 per fixture installed.
During the month of June, the contractor completed the installation of the 16 solar streetlights. Public Works Street Maintenance staff observed the installation process throughout the project and will be installing solar streetlights for the upcoming 3-year cycle to reduce costs and complete more installations.
Streetlight Plan Prioritization
On March 24, 2026, the City Council received and discussed the priorities recommended by staff to be used for the preparation of a Citywide Streetlight Plan. At this meeting, staff presented recommended criteria, which was discussed and finalized by the City Council to include the following:
Score
Prioritization Category Description
(out of 100)
Reported crime activity (3-year period) in
Safety History (Crime) 20 the vicinity of the segment. Segments in areas with a greater concentration of
incidents receive higher scores.
Reported traffic collisions in the vicinity of
Collisions (Crashes) 20
the segment (3-year period). All collisions
are weighted equally. Segments with more
collisions receive higher scores.
Absence or deficiency of sidewalk
infrastructure along the segment, which
Lack of Sidewalk
20 increases pedestrian exposure in unlit
conditions.
Nearness of the segment to a school,
School Proximity
12 reflecting increased pedestrian activity by
children and families.
Nearness of the segment to shopping
Civic and Commercial
centers, entertainment venues, and other
8 Destinations
civic or commercial destinations that
generate pedestrian activity.
Nearness of the segment to Downey Link
Transit Access
8 transit stops, where riders may walk to and
from service during evening hours.
Nearness of the segment to multi -family
residential areas, where higher on -street
Over -parked Streets
8 parking demand increases nighttime
pedestrian activity.
Location of the segment within a designated
disadvantaged community, supporting
Equity and Distribution
4 equitable distribution of street light
improvements.
Total
100
The prioritization categories discussed by the City Council focused on the safety of residential neighborhoods using pedestrian and vehicle traffic safety coupled with factors such as sidewalk gaps, overparked streets, and pedestrian destinations. The City Council asked staff to prioritize neighborhood crime statistics and place it at the same level with collision history and lack of sidewalks. To accommodate these priorities, staff assigned equal weight to all three of these highest categories and adjusted the remaining five categories to reflect a reduction in weight for School Proximity, while leaving the relative weights of the other categories the same, as requested by the City Council.
ANALYSIS
Citywide Needs Assessment
To address lighting deficiencies on a broader, prioritized basis, staff undertook a Citywide GIS-based needs assessment of residential streets using the criteria outlined above. Staff mapped the City's existing streetlight inventory to identify street segments where no streetlight exists or where existing fixture spacing exceeds the 235- foot maximum recommended by IES RP-8-14, the lighting industry standard for roadway and pedestrian lighting.
This effort identified 396 residential street segments Citywide with lighting needs, with approximately 1,100 streetlights needing to be installed.
Prioritization Process
Using a total annual budget of $500,000 from local return funds (non -General Fund sources), staff estimates that up to 85 streetlights can be installed each year. Staff recommends using the local return funds each year, as these are annually allocated funds from the County through Measure M, Measure R, and Proposition C, that can be used for adding streetlights. There is also the added benefit the this project will not impact the General Fund. In evaluating the use of the City's local return funds that are used each year for a variety public works projects (paving, traffic safety, sidewalks), staff feels that $500,000 is a sustainable amount that can be budgeted each year for the annual program.
Because the City's annual lighting budget cannot fund the installation at every identified location at once, staff developed a scoring methodology to rank segments to develop a hierarchy of installation priorities. Each segment was evaluated against a consistent set of factors shown in the table above. Scoring each segment against these factors and ranking the results Citywide produced a prioritized list of 50 street segments representing the most significant lighting needs in the City. That list, and the Three -Year Street Light Installation Plan built from it, are provided in Attachment A.
Staff recommends proceeding with the residential streetlight plan in 3-year cycles, as both Crime and Collisions are two of the three highest categories that have the greatest likelihood of changing from one year to the next. This allows staff to analyze and reset each new 3-year cycle to reflect any changes in these two critical public safety categories. Prior to each 3-year cycle expiring, staff will apply the prioritization criteria with refreshed, updated safety data and a new 3-year cycle list will be prepared.
Funded program (Fiscal Years 2026-27 through 2028-29),
At the City -crew installed unit cost of $5,814 per fixture, the City's $500,000 annual CIP allocation supports up to 85 new fixtures per year. Because street segments are programmed whole rather than split across fiscal years, annual fixture counts range from 80 to 85. Over the three-year horizon, the Plan funds the 50 highest -ranked segments, totaling 246 new fixtures across approximately 51,299 linear feet, at a construction cost of $1,430,244.
Fiscal Year
Ranks
Segments
New LightsConstruction
Contingency
FY 2026-27
1-13
13 80
$465,120
$34,880
FY 2027-28
14-29
16 85
$494,190
$5,810
FY 2028-29
30-50
21 81
$470,934
$29,066
TOTAL
1-50
50 246
$1,430,244
$69,756
Technology and Installation Approach
Consistent with the solar LED fixtures recently installed under the Residential Streetlight Pilot Program, the Plan establishes solar LED luminaires as the standard fixture for all CIP-funded street light installations, eliminating ongoing SCE energy billing and avoiding the need to trench and pull new electrical conduit. Fixture counts are computed at one new fixture per 235 feet of residential street frontage, consistent with recommended spacing.
Building on the installation experience the Department gained through the residential pilot, the Public Works Streets Division will self -perform construction under this Plan using City crews and materials procured through the City's existing cooperative purchasing agreement, which is the basis for the unit cost described below.
City Crew versus Contractor Installation
City Crew -performed installation carries a unit cost of $5,814 per fixture, compared to $11,383 per fixture for competitively bid contractor installation, consistent with the $11,521 average unit cost recently paid under the Fonroche Lighting America contract for the residential program. The 48.9 percent cost differential reflects prevailing -wage labor rates, contractor overhead and profit, mobilization, and contractor -furnished traffic control that apply to contracted work but not to work self -performed by City crews. Applied to the 246 fixtures funded in this Plan, City -crew installation saves approximately $1,369,974 against contracted installation and is the basis for the 85-fixture annual capacity that allows the first 50 streets of the program to be completed within three years rather than six.
Unit
Contractor
City Crew
Savings
Per fixture
$11,383
$5,814
48.9%
Funded program (246 fixtures)
$$2,800,218
$1,430,244
$1,369,974
Implementation Process
Each fiscal year's package of street segments will be prepared by Public Works Engineering Division staff.
Following construction, completed installations will be transferred to the Streets Division for ongoing operation and maintenance, with materials covered under the manufacturer's standard warranty consistent with fixtures recently installed under the residential program. Staff will develop a new 3-year cycle at the completion of the first 3 years of the plan and return in 2029 for City Council adoption.
Operating Savings
Because solar LED fixtures require no SCE energy billing and carry reduced maintenance costs relative to grid -tied HPS fixtures, the Plan also reduces ongoing operating expenditures. At program build -out of the first 3 years (246 new lights installed), estimated annual operating cost savings are approximately $82,000 per year relative to equivalent grid -tied operation. Each light battery has an approximate 10-15 year lifespan before needing replacement. The cost to replace the battery is approximately $100.
Future Funding Opportunities
Staff will continue to pursue supplemental grant funding, including the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and Active Transportation Program (ATP) administered by Caltrans, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in eligible census tracts, and clean -energy funding through the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Clean Power Alliance, to accelerate future cycles or expand the program's scope beyond what the base annual CIP allocation of $500,000 alone can support.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Quality of Life, Safety & Infrastructure
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action will result in an estimated expenditure of $500,000 as approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget in account number 23-1-6886 and 56-1-6886.
Attachments
Rank ID Road From To Length (ft) Score
1 10
Priscilla Avenue
2 41
Leeds Street
3 55
Alameda Street
4 184
4th Street
5 183
4th Place
6 56
Albia Street
7 86
Samoline Lane
8 91
Albia Street
9 102
Gurley Avenue
10 164
Shellyfield Road
11 73
Nada Street
12 54
Orange Street
13 143
Casanes Avenue
14 212
Farm Street
15 88
Melva Street
16 114
Arnett Street
17 371
Samoline Avenue
18 109
Haro Avenue
19 336
Haledon Avenue
20 126
Adenmoor Avenue
21 169
6th Street
22 339
Clancey Avenue
23 90
Samoline Avenue
24 142
Pangborn Avenue
25 205
Rives Avenue
26 277
Tecum Road
27 11
Devenir Avenue
28 12
Comolette Street
29 304
Manzanar Avenue
30 18
Stanbridge Avenue
31 71
Rundell Street
32 115
Norlain Avenue
33 151
Hasty Avenue
34 174
Muller Street
35 326
Lemoran Avenue
36 387
Passons Boulevard
37 101
Fontana Street
38 133
Muller Street
39 154
Cord Avenue
40 194
Quinn Street
41 215
Baysinger Street
42 331
Garnish Drive
43 357
Calmcrest Drive
44 47
Hondo Street
45 52
Gneiss Avenue
46 64
Springer Street
47 349
Parrot Avenue
48 354
Noren Street
49 42
Lankin Street
50 43
Quoit Street
Paramount Boulevard
Paramount Boulevard
Dolan Avenue
Paramount Boulevard
Paramount Boulevard
Patton Road
Cole Street
Brookshire Ave
De Palma Street
Gotham Street
Old River School Road
Orizaba Avenue
Gotham Street
Rives Avenue
Rives Avenue
Old River School Road
Suva Street
Benares Street
Appleby Street
Stewart and Gray Road
Brookshire Avenue
Sheridell Avenue
Melva Street
Farm Street
5th Street
Dinsdale Street
Brock Avenue
Brock Avenue
Charloma Drive
Corrigan Avenue
Old River School Road
Arnett Street
Pellet Street
Tristan Drive
Gallatin Road
Cedartree Road
Patton Road
Fairford Avenue
Cecilia Street
Old River School Road
Rives Avenue
Appleby Street
Guatemala Avenue
Gneiss Avenue
Orange Street
Birchdale Avenue
Pomering Road
Guatemala Avenue
Orizaba Avenue
Orizaba Avenue
Downey Avenue
1,833.96
52 Leeds Street
931.10
52 Blodgett Avenue
1,803.05
52 Wiley Burke Avenue
2,627.00
52 Wiley Burke Avenue
2,628.67
51 Brookshire Avenue
693.00
50 Samoline Lane
527.04
50 Albia Street
865.00
50 Arnett Street
1,660.32
50 Cecilia Street
1,506.69
50 Susan Avenue
867.31
49 Montgomery Street
581.18
48 Florence Avenue
1,844.42
48 Smallwood Avenue
589.91
48 Samoline Avenue
1,255.40
47 Norlain Avenue
369.00
47 Gallatin Road
1,191.00
47 Haro Avenue
258.14
46 Vista del Rio Drive
844.08
46 Hall Road
1,364.25
45 Lakewood Boulevard
672.00
45 Appleby Street
360.68
45 Albia Street
646.74
44 Florence Avenue
1,699.00
44 6th Street
345.81
44 Gainford Street
550.09
44 Downey Avenue
1,210.91
43 Downey Avenue
1,215.62
43 Suva Street
343.61
43 Stanbridge Avenue
310.56
42 Pomering Road
430.68
42 Neo Street
429.15
42 Cecilia Street
1,150.92
42 Birchdale Avenue
746.64
42 Lubec Street
1,188.39
42 Telegraph Road
367.61
42 Brookshire Avenue
699.00
41 Muller Street
834.59
41 Fostoria Street
539.67
41 Wiley Burke Avenue
1,139.60
41 Paramount Boulevard
1,473.81
41 Vista del Rio Drive
787.26
41 Horley Avenue
1,269.57
41 Downey Avenue
516.41
40 Gneiss Avenue
349.31
40 Blodgett Avenue
706.33
40 Lubec Street
344.24
40 Julius Avenue
610.89
40 Downey Avenue
918.63
39 Downey Avenue
907.32
39