Signals and Streetlights

Known Streetlight Issues

The map of known streetlight issues is currently under construction.

Responsibilities of the Traffic Signal and Streetlight Shop

• Relamp Signal Heads – Proactive – On a set cycle
• Relamp Streetlights – Reactive – Resident Request
• Repair Damaged Streetlights – Reactive – As needed/Resident Request
• Troubleshoot Signals – Reactive – As needed
• Overhead/Aerial Inspections – Proactive – On a set cycle
• Verify all operations of signals – Proactive – On a set cycle
• Bridge Lighting – Reactive – As needed
• Maintain Public Clocks in the Right of Way
• Install and Maintain Banners
• Locate Underground Utilities – Through Call Before you Dig One Call
• Inspection for Private Development and Capital Projects with Signals and Streetlights

Traffic Signal and Street Light Shop Location

The signal and streetlight shop and warehouse are located at 3401A South Orchard Street.

Streetlight Copper Wire Theft

Streetlight copper wire thefts are a problem across Tacoma and the nation. Not only is this crime costing our community hundreds of thousands of unbudgeted dollars, but the crime itself can be dangerous to criminals and residents. With 30,000 streetlight and junction box targets throughout our community, Tacoma needs watchful residents to help.

Activities to Watch For

The first stage of this crime may occur in broad daylight.

• Criminals may use official-looking white vans and orange construction vests to avoid suspicion. Legitimate streetlight crews will generally be in bucket-trucks, marked with official City, Tacoma Public Utilities or other logos.
• To locate a covered junction box criminals may poke around in grass turf.
• The thief may drop something, such as a bicycle or construction cones, over a junction box to hide their activity.
• They may break into and then cut the streetlight or junction box wires to ensure darkness when they return to steal the wire later that night.

The criminals(s) may return after dark to finish their efforts.

• They may draw the wire out by hand or by tying it to a vehicle or bicycle to yank it out quickly.
• Often the wire is stuffed into a backpack.

Report a crime in-progress to the Tacoma Police Department by dialing 911.

Junction boxes may be embedded in concrete, soil or grass. Streetlight access panels are generally located near the base of streetlights.

When people report a streetlight outage, the top priority of Public Works Department crews is to secure the site for public safety. To report an outage that has not yet been addressed, call 311 or use the online reporting system.

Repair Prioritization

1. Repairs that can be quickly fixed during the initial public safety inspection
2. High pedestrian or traffic use areas
3. The order of when outages were reported

Repair Response Times
The City of Tacoma has created an interactive streetlight outage map.  This map allows you to enter your address and find out if an location has already been reported.

Over the past several years our community and others have met with mixed success implementing various prevention methods. The reality is that Tacomans own 22,300 streetlights and 9,500 junction boxes that are largely unprotected. Yet, with your help, we can make it harder for criminals to get away with stealing Tacoma’s public property in the first place.