The I-Team is getting the bottom of a potentially dangerous problem in a Boston neighborhood. 

Ann Marie Ford lives in Dorchester and says she’s concerned about the streetlights along Gallivan Boulevard. Many look to be in in disrepair, and she says they could pose a danger. 

Ann Marie pointed out the cracks, rust and crumbling concrete telling the I-Team, “I was kind of shocked, because we just saw the one and then when we looked up, we saw them all down the median and it’s dangerous.” 

“Someone could get killed”

Potentially dangerous because the light poles are leaning into the street. We brought in Wentworth Institute of Technology Engineering Professor James Lambrechts who explained the danger. “Someone could get killed,” Lambrechts said. 

Lambrechts says it’s clear the poles are leaning towards the highway. “As it leans more, it bends more,” Lambrechts said. “Its foundation is going to be overloaded. That’s not good.” 

Lambrechts found the poles are not just leaning, but cracking. “These are not good things for the pole to have this problem and it shouldn’t be like this,” Lambrechts said. 

Who owns the streetlights?

Gallivan Boulevard is a state DOT road. The I-Team asked for the inspection reports for the streetlights. DOT told us DCR owns the road. It does not. State records show Gallivan Boulevard was transferred to DOT in 2009. 

DOT then said Eversource owns the poles and told us it has notified the utility company about possible safety or maintenance issues. But they could not tell us when the poles were last inspected or whether the repairs or maintenance had been done. 

“You got to come out and maintain these things every once in a while,” Lambrechts said. “They all need to be inspected, evaluated and replaced as necessary.” 

Eversource has received calls about streetlights

As for Eversource, it refused to provide the I-Team with any records, but released a statement: 

“Delivering safe, reliable energy service to our customers is always our top priority, and we are constantly working to maintain and upgrade our local electric distribution system across Massachusetts. 

With respect to the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, our maintenance responsibilities currently include maintenance of the pole, cable and luminaire. We also inspect these streetlights annually for stray voltage, and if we record an elevated voltage reading or other issue on a Gallivan Boulevard streetlight structure, we provide those findings and locations to the commonwealth. 

Our troubleshooters – who are out in our communities 24/7 – are also constantly evaluating the condition of infrastructure, including streetlights, as part of their daily work. If our crews observe that a pole’s condition poses a safety risk to the public, we work as quickly as possible to address that risk with the appropriate repairs, including replacements when needed. It is important to note that there are different considerations for concrete streetlight poles compared to a wooden utility pole, and if a concrete streetlight pole may have a lean, or visible crack, it doesn’t necessarily pose a risk to public safety. Gallivan Boulevard is a highly traversed state roadway with motor vehicle accidents that can cause such damage. 

Our customer call center has received a handful of calls about streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard this year, and any reports made to our call center about streetlight conditions get assigned for additional inspection. The City of Boston and our state agencies also have dedicated account representatives who communicate with those entities on a daily basis, and we have not received any separate recent complaints regarding streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard from state agencies or the city. When we do receive complaints, we have a process in place to coordinate with MassDOT and the City of Boston to quickly address any potential safety or reliability issues. Any decision to make a repair or to replace a pole is prioritized solely by safety and reliability.” 

Problem light poles in Boston 

Lambrechts says it’s their responsibility to maintain the poles. “If it falls over it’s not safe,” Lambrechts said.

The risk of light poles in poor condition falling is real. In September of 2022, a woman was seriously injured when a corroded streetlight fell on the Moakley Bridge in Boston. An I-Team investigation found the city knew about the problem as far back as 2017. WBZ also uncovered a state report from months earlier showing the poles required immediate repair, but nothing was done. After the incident the city removed nearly two dozen dangerous poles.

As for the streetlights on Gallivan Boulevard, Lambrechts says maybe there is a protocol to change these out, but if not, he says he would not drive on the roadway in a storm. 

Just weeks ago, DOT started a new program requiring inspections and the keeping of records for structures along their roadways, regardless of who owns them.