The Parkside Community Association held a community meeting on February 7th to educate and solicit feedback from residents about the changing nature of lighting and streetlight design in the neighborhood. Parkside residents raised important concerns during the meeting about the new LED streetlights appearing throughout the neighborhood.

Resident Mary Richert captured the spirit of the afternoon, noting, “I was in awe of all the expertise shared by the people who spoke, and of the many good questions from attendees. Gary Gleba (PCA Director and chair of the streetlight committee) is amazing to be able to hold all the facts in his mind, and then to sort them all out for us. People left the meeting knowing that something worthwhile happened for sure. Combined strengths always make me hopeful.”

The PCA has been working closely with Council President Joel Feroleto, the City of Buffalo, National Grid, and the Public Service Department to understand the problem and advocate for solutions. Here’s what you need to know.

Who Owns and Maintains the Lights?

The City of Buffalo owns the streetlight poles, but National Grid owns and maintains nearly all of the luminaires—the lighting fixtures at the top of each pole. This split responsibility often causes confusion about who to call for outages, repairs, or fixture questions.

Why Are the New Lights So Different?

Parkside’s historic “Central Park” luminaires use High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs that give off a warm amber glow. When these older fixtures fail, National Grid replaces them with LED luminaires. These LEDs:

• Emit a brighter, blue white light

• Have higher color temperatures

• Come in several designs that do not match Parkside’s historic fixtures

Residents have noticed mismatched styles—such as “Tall” and “Short” Highland Park LEDs—appearing on the same street. This inconsistency disrupts the neighborhood’s historic character.

Why Can’t the City Just Choose a Different Fixture?

National Grid must follow Tariff 214, a 134 page contract approved by the Public Service Commission. The tariff dictates:

• Which LED fixtures replace each historic style

• What National Grid can install

• What the City can request

Neither the City nor National Grid can deviate from the tariff without formal approval.

Is There a Better Option?

Yes—a uniform LED luminaire for the entire city. The PCA and Council President

Feroleto spoke during the community forum. He supports selecting one LED design

across the city that:

• Respects Parkside’s historic look

• Provides softer, more ambient light

• Eliminates mismatched fixtures

• Facilitates funding to implement an LED streetlight solution

National Grid has agreed to review three or four options the PCA will submit based on resident feedback and preferences. If the City chooses a uniform fixture, it would need to fund a citywide conversion, but energy savings could offset costs within a year.

What Happens Next?

Based on the community forum, residents appear broadly aligned around a shared objective: lighting solutions that combine historic architectural compatibility, warmer and softer light quality, reduced glare and light intrusion, and consistent implementation across the neighborhood.

The PCA will continue to gather resident feedback, present preferred options to the City of Buffalo, and advocate for a transparent, citywide solution that protects Parkside’s historic identity.