Shining a Light on Toronto Hydro by Updating Street Lighting Options

In some areas of the City, this can create accessibility and safety concerns. There are also community design aspirations and existing local lighting standards that the current agreement does not assist with nor protect in the long-term. If a new light is to be installed or an existing light replaced, Toronto Hydro typically will default to a standard design, such as the "Cobra Head" Luminaire which is attached to 25 foot poles. This design, while functional, is not a suitable replacement for many areas of the City that have paid for and/or historically used other standards. As an example, Victorian-style lighting standards in some parts of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood reflect both the Old Town heritage character and provide pedestrian scale lighting. Without an identical or similar lighting standard option, these lights are being replaced by Toronto Hydro's standard and sometimes much taller poles as they are damaged or reach their end of life. Without an approved alternative, reinstating the previous neighbourhood-specific lights is both challenging and expensive. It would be helpful to understand the status of the City's current agreement with Toronto Hydro, when it expires or is up for renewal, and what additional options could be considered to both expand lighting to City sidewalks and to create new lighting standards, both functional and aesthetically deserved, that can respond to specific neighbourhood needs.