Boise public works proposes streetlight master plan and inventories 10,000 fixtures; replacement costs estimated

Deputy City Engineer Melissa Janish told the Boise City Council the city is responsible for about 10,000 streetlights and is conducting a structural analysis of poles as many near replacement age. She described a range of replacement and installation costs and sought council support to fund a streetlight master plan.

Janis (Janis/Janish in transcript) said average replacement of existing poles costs about $10,000 per pole depending on type and work needed; replacing all assets today would be roughly $100 million. New lights can range from $10,000 to $30,000 each and in complex, high-traffic locations costs can approach $30,000. Power costs for the streetlight program were reported at about $630,000 annually; general maintenance is budgeted at about $300,000 a year and annual pole replacement budget is about $100,000 (roughly 10 poles per year).

Janis said most new streetlights are installed as part of development but noted inconsistent lighting across older neighborhoods, including areas annexed in or developed before the 2015 policy that set spacing and placement standards.

To address gaps, staff proposed a streetlight master plan to define what counts as underserved, map areas that fail to meet standards, set priorities for improvements (including coordination with Boise Police and overlaying traffic-fatality and serious-injury data), and identify potential funding sources and partnerships (including further engagement with Idaho Power and ACHD). The FY budget request includes $220,000 to develop the plan.

Council members welcomed the proposal and suggested the plan incorporate safety data (locations with pedestrian serious injuries and fatalities), work with ACHD where corridors cross agency boundaries, and explore sustainability and negotiated power rates with Idaho Power. Janish noted the city had largely converted fixtures to LED and benefits from a government rate with Idaho Power.