Get the Lights back on Downtown, Augusta, Georgia!

Whereas, the streetlights on the median and sidewalks on Greene Street from East Boundary to Fifth Street have been out since July 2022, it is imperative that the residents and visitors of Augusta – Richmond County require the City to provide a timeline for a long-term solution or a plan for immediate remediation.

At least 15 streetlights are out on Greene Street between 5th Street and 12th Street, with a large outage at 11th Street and Greene Street. Streetlights are also out on Walton Way between James Brown Boulevard and 13th Street and on 8th Street between Walton Way and Telfair Street. Cars appear out of nowhere, and parked cars are nearly invisible. Families must walk with flashlights, even in the early evening, and historical tours are conducted in near darkness.

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office released seven accident reports on Greene Street since July 2022, and another accident occurred Dec. 14 at Greene Street and 11th Street in early morning rain and fog. At least three of these accidents happened at night. Monuments and light poles have been destroyed by vehicle crashes because of speed and the lack of light on Greene Street, and the situation has become even more drastic since darkness is coming earlier. Safety is the chief concern, as traffic comes off the Calhoun Expressway, leaving residents unsafe when vehicles barrel down Greene Street at night in pitch darkness.

Residents have complained to the City via neighborhood associations and have been promised street improvements that are coming in the unspecified future with no sense of urgency for an immediate fix. Plans for redevelopment of Greene Street and other downtown corridors have been on the books for over 10 years, and millions of dollars in TIA funds have been allocated for this, but no action has taken place, and none appears to be forthcoming soon.

City officials have stated that they inspected the Greene Street lighting system from 5th Street to East Boundary because of reports of danger to pets and residents. They determined the system was "aged beyond repair and now unsafe to the public". The system was shut down and de-energized. The City has indicated they are working on a temporary solar retrofit in Q1 2023, until the already funded full system upgrade is complete, but there is no concrete timeline provided for this work.

Commissioners and elected officials have been emailed, 311 has been called, and Augusta Commission meetings have been attended, all with pleas to the city leaders for help. The outgoing Mayor, at his last commission meeting before leaving office, shut down discussion of the issue. After presenting the issue, long-time resident Kevin de l’Aigle said, “I was surprised when the Mayor and Commissioners put it back on me. ‘You need to be more philanthropic,’ the Mayor said. I can’t help but think as taxpayers, we pay for the maintenance of streetlights.”