The retrofit of City streetlamps to LED lighting technology is complete for the majority of roadways Citywide. In coordination with Dominion Energy, over 10,000 retrofits have been completed to date — that’s over 95% of Alexandria’s streetlights. 

As of November 2023, all public streets have been converted to LED streetlamps with the exception of select streets in the Old Town Historic Area that feature Gadsby style streetlights.  These Gadsby fixtures are currently being transitioned to LED streetlights as resources allow.  

LED lights have environmental, safety, and cost benefits. They:

• Last five times longer than incandescent lights
• Reduce energy consumption by 90%
• Burn brighter
• Save the City money
• Align with the City's Eco-City Alexandria and Vision Zero goals

About New Service Requests

Street lighting assists both drivers and pedestrians in finding their way in the dark, and ensures the safety and security of Alexandria residents.

Residents can request the upgrade or addition of existing street and alley lights by following the multi-step application process outlined below.

Submitting a request does not guarantee the provision of new infrastructure. A final determination is made based on a series of criteria including the results of a site and infrastructure survey, review of neighborhood support, budget consideration, timeline, and an installation feasibility analysis.

Residents interested in submitting an application for new or the upgrading of street lights should thoroughly review the below information before submitting a request.

Project Requirements

•  Lighting level insufficient and below City lighting standards 
• City right-of-way and power available to install and operate street light
• Support of project by 80% of neighbors within one block in each direction of, including neighbors immediately adjacent to the proposed site

Considerations

• Number of requests for additional or upgraded street lights per year
• Feasibility of installing additional street light
• Availability of funding for infrastructure design and installation

Prioritization Criteria

• Streets with no lights on both sides of the street
• Streets near schools, parks, or public transit services
• Cost and feasibility of installation
• Date of application submission

Application Process

1. Review the new service/fixture application process including the project eligibility criteria, project approval and prioritization considerations, and timeline.
2. If you believe your proposed project meets the criteria above. Initiate the application process by requesting a site survey using Alex311. 
3. A City survey crew is sent to the location identified through the survey request form and determines the feasibility of establishing street light services in that location.
4. The field survey results are submitted to the Street Light Program Manager, who then communicates the results to the applicant. If the site is not viable, the Program Manager contacts the applicant and communicates the reason for denial of services. If the site is considered viable, the Program Manager provides the applicant with the second stage of application materials, including a resident approval survey.
5. The applicant has 30 days to complete and return the application materials and resident approval survey. Satisfactory completion of the survey is contingent on the receipt of signatures of all neighbors. Households must indicate they “support” or “do not support” the proposed project. For the application process, all property owners directly adjacent to the proposed street light location plus 80% of the neighbors within the project area must support the installation of the street light. Please note: Condominium and apartment buildings incorporating 15 or more households are not required to get signatures from all the residents; however, the condominium association or property management company is required to provide written support of the project by submitting a multifamily signature form. 
6. Once the application materials are submitted to the Program Manager, they are reviewed for completion. Street Light applications are then officially considered and prioritized based on a set of criteria.
7. If sufficient funding is available for the project, City staff informs the applicant and civic association of eligibility and location for installation and will work with the project Point of Contact to notify residents of the street. 
8. The Project Manager sends a request to Dominion for the installation of a new fixture and notifies the applicant of the project approval and an estimated installation timeline. The City then requests that the Applicant then notifies residents of the results.

Most public streetlights in the City of Alexandria are maintained by Dominion Energy. 

Please report streetlight outages through Alex311, or directly to Dominion at 1.866.DOM.HELP (1.866.366.4357). New features have been added to the Streetlights service request category on Alex311, including an interactive map that can be used to report the exact location and details of the streetlight(s).

To learn more about the repair process, please visit Dominion Energy: Streetlight Outage Information.

For general questions related to streetlight maintenance in Alexandria, contact the Traffic Operations Division at 703.746.4006.