Approximately 5 blocks per year will be upgraded, starting in 2025.

• The 2025 blocks will aim to upgrade 3 blocks in the South and 2 in the North of Taber.

We will be upgrading the blocks that our study determined was the darkest and had safety issues with that darkness. Between Fortis (who owns the street lights) and our Public Works Department, the blocks will be decided each year based on this study. 

Please note that the 5 blocks per year is an estimate, and is also based on Fortis' availability and their own work plans. 

When will the Blocks Get Done Each Year?

We unfortunately can't give an estimate for the time of year/season new streetlights will be done each year. The Town works with Fortis and the timeline each year will be based on their existing priorities, work projects, and availability.

Yes- the Town of Taber will strive to notify any properties along any blocks that are being upgraded with lighting with a letter before work is carried out. Notifications will start in 2025, and a letter will be delivered to your property if you are on a block that will undergo upgraded streetlights. 

It depends on the area.

In some areas, we can add lights to existing power poles, instead of installing entirely brand new light poles. In other areas, we may need to add entirely brand-new streetlights into the utility right-of-ways, adding more light poles to each block.

Additionally, we also take a look at the existing light poles and determine if there is anything blocking their light, like trees. If a tree is blocking the light, we may either trim or replace the tree, whichever is determined to be the best option. If a tree on your property is affecting a light pole, we will contact you to discuss some options before we do any work.

Streetlights will be placed in the utility right-of-way at the front of properties (between two properties wherever possible), not directly in your yard. We have handy guides to help visualize:

• Properties with Boulevards
• Properties without Boulevards

Fortis and our Public Works team will carefully review proposed locations for streetlights and consider factors like driveways, trees, and the position of windows (like living room windows) to minimize any impact on homeowners while ensuring the best lighting for the area.

A utility right-of-way is a strip of land that allows utility companies or municipalities to install and maintain essential services like power lines, gas lines, and fibre optic (cable/internet). It’s usually located along the edge of properties, such as near the sidewalk or street. Even though it’s abutting your property, the municipality or utility companies have the right to use it for these services.

I Don't Want a Streetlight on my Property. Can I Refuse?

Technically no, because the streetlight will be placed in the utility right-of-way, not on your property. That being said, during Fortis' engagement before any infrastructure is installed there may be an opportunity for a homeowner to raise their concerns, though this is not a guarantee that the streetlight can or will be moved elsewhere. All crews will do their best to listen to your concerns and determine if there is another alternative, though we cannot offer any guarantees. 

To measure how bright different areas are, crews used a "lux meter."

A lux meter has a sensor that detects how much light is shining on a surface, like a street or a room. It provides a reading in "lux" units, which helps check if the lighting is bright enough for safety or other needs.

Using the lux meter, we measured light levels on all streets in Taber at night. The data showed that many parts of the town are too dark and need better lighting to improve safety and visibility.

You can see an example of the "lux" units based on street lamps below (street lamps are highlighted yellow in the map):

The study found that the main problem is that there aren’t enough streetlights in some areas. In other spots, the distance between lampposts is too far apart.

The lighting is also uneven in some areas because of these reasons:

• Trees are different heights and are placed in uneven spots.
• Some lampposts are too far apart (the best distance is about 40 meters).
• Some streetlights are too dim.

The Town of Taber currently (as of December 2024) has 245 residential blocks:

• North Side: 155
• South Side: 70
• Heritage Estates: 20

The study determined the majority of the above blocks need some form of improvement.

With the approved budget of 5 blocks upgraded per year, it would take about 50 years* to upgrade all of Taber.

* The 50-year timeline assumes upgrading 5 blocks per year for the entire community. However, newer residential subdivisions already have upgraded lighting and more streetlights than older neighborhoods due to improved design standards & codes for developers, so these areas may not need upgrades.

Additionally, when the Town undertakes large underground infrastructure projects—like replacing sewer, water lines, and roadwork like we did on 41st Avenue in 2024—we also evaluate and upgrade streetlights as part of the overall project. These streets may be upgraded separately from this initiative, further reducing the timeline.

Thank you for your interest, but requests for upgrades will not be accepted.

Instead, we will begin with the darkest streets where safety issues due to the dark were identified and work our way toward the next darkest areas, ensuring improvements are made where they are needed most.

Streetlight upgrades hadn’t been done earlier due to a number of reasons, including budget limitations and other Town priorities. Also, in older sections of Taber, the power lines run in the back alley and not underground, which is why it makes it difficult to add extra lights "here-and-there," and why in some older areas there are only streetlights on poles at the corners of intersections and alleys.

Now, after completing a detailed study, Council has approved a phased plan to address lighting issues. This plan focuses on improving safety and visibility across Taber, starting with the areas that need it most.

Streetlights in Taber are owned and maintained by Fortis, but the Town is responsible for the costs. This includes paying for their installation and covering the ongoing power bills to ensure our streets stay safe and well-lit.

If Council chooses to increase the budget in a particular budget year, there could be more than 5 blocks. But currently, Council has approved budget for 5 blocks annually.

That being said, when we undertake major underground street work, (like on 41st Avenue), we review all infrastructure in the area, including lighting. This means if underground utilities are being upgraded, there’s a good chance aboveground features, like streetlights, will also be improved to meet modern standards and enhance the area. Those projects would be in addition to the 5 blocks.

The streetlights will be the LED cobra-head style that are now the standard lighting for communities. You can read more about them here.

Will the lights turn purple like I've seen in other communities?

The issue of "purple" streetlights is caused when a coating on the fixture fails, allowing the natural colour of the LED light to shine through.

LED lights can emit a variety of light wavelengths, but one colour they do not naturally produce is white, so if the light is "purple," you're actually seeing the light directly from the bulb. The lights are coated with a phosphor coating, and then transmitted as a range of green-red wavelengths, which allows humans to interpret the light as white instead. When that phosphor coating fails, you actually see the natural wavelength of the LED lightbulb.

So with the new lights, it's unlikely that they will be purple, as the coating should be new. However, if you encounter a "purple" streetlight, it means it needs to be fixed. You can easily report a repair on Fortis' website here.