Why are over 1,000 Fort Worth streetlights turning purple? Here’s what the city says
Starting in November, you may have noticed bright purple streetlights shining in Fort Worth as you drive home in the evening. Some have assumed they were new bulbs the city started using, others thought it was to enhance crime control and many believed the lights were in support of TCU football for the National Championship title game.
It turns out the purple lights actually signify a manufacturer defect, city communications manager Valerie Colapret told the Star-Telegram on Nov. 18. The glowing purple streetlights are about to go out and must be replaced.
This happened because the city changed more than half of streetlight bulbs to LEDs, aiming for more energy efficiency and brightness. As they start to go out, LEDs illuminate in different colors. In this case, they turned purple.
Since they were first spotted, Fort Worth’s Transportation and Public Works department has been working with the vendor Acuity Brands Lighting Inc. to determine the scope of lights impacted and establish a timeline for replacement.
There are over 1,100 reported lights that need to be replaced, Colapret said in an email on Feb. 7, expected to be completed in three to four months. There is not yet a full count of all purple lights at residential locations, but the department is working on collecting that data.
Lights are being replaced as reports come in. If you come across a purple streetlight, report it through the MyFW App, so that the department adds it to the list of lights for replacement. They will respond within about a month.
This story was originally published February 13, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
