Lincoln will replace remaining purple

The purple glow that has illuminated some of Lincoln's roadways for more than a year is on borrowed time.

At the direction of the city, private contractors will continue work over the next several months to replace more than 1,500 defective LED streetlights that malfunctioned after they were installed, emitting a purple hue on streets across the city, but particularly downtown and along arterial roadways.

Crews have been working to replace defective bulbs since at least May 2021, when contractors had replaced about 100 defective lights.

By December, that number had ballooned to 500, and city officials estimated they had 484 left to replace.

Now, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott said, the city has more than 1,000 replacement bulbs on hand and crews ready to install them — all at no cost to the city.

"What has happened to our streetlights has happened to cities across the country, including many here in the Midwest," Elliott said a Wednesday afternoon news conference where she appeared alongside Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.

Schneider/Acuity sold Lincoln — and at least a dozen other cities — the LED lights that, after working normally for a while, started emitting the glow.

Elliott said contractors at RS Electric would intensify replacement efforts over the coming weeks and — weather permitting — should finish the project in the coming months. More than 95% of the city's streetlights are already properly functioning.

The purple lights didn't pose any inherent safety concerns, Elliott said, but they aren't what Lincoln ordered, which is why the taxpayers won't pay the bill for the ongoing replacement project.

"Some people love the purple lights, some people not so much," she said. "We just want to make sure that we're getting what our community wanted and paid for."

The installation of the purple-hued lights was an unintended side effect of Lincoln's push in 2019 to replace 27,000 street light fixtures with LED lighting, an effort that Gaylor Baird said saves the city $340,000 annually in energy costs and reduces the city's carbon emissions "by over 9,000 tons every year."

The basketball courts at Antelope Park went from gray to filled with color this fall. The project to resurface the courts at Normal Boulevard and South Street and repaint them as a reproduction of the painting "Red Sea" by African American artist Felrath Hines was funded by private donations. The original painting is part of the permanent collection of the Sheldon Museum of Art.

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird gives the state of the city address on Oct. 4.

Lincoln East's Gabby Pace (center left) and Kooper Barnes (center right) dance as part of the Spartans' pregame routine before an A-5 district game Wednesday at Doris Bair Complex.

Nebraska interim defensive coordinator Bill Busch celebrates after the team made a stop against Indiana on Oct. 1 at Memorial Stadium.

Johnson-Brock industrial technology teacher Ashton Bohling is one of 20 nationwide winners of the 2022 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.

Nebraska's Marcus Washington breaks a tackle from Indiana's Bryant Fitzgerald (31) in the third quarter on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Flowers ring a tree on Randolph Street where six people died in a car crash Oct. 2.

Nebraska's Malcolm Hartzog (13) and Nebraska wide receiver Ty Hahn (17) celebrate after Hartzog scooped up a blocked punt for a touchdown on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

A farmer uses a corn combine to harvest his crop on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Johnson, NE. Based on June 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2022 winter wheat crop is forecast at 36.9 million bushels, down 10% from last year's crop, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Elkhorn South's Ellen Bode drives the ball off the 16th tee during the girls class A district golf match on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln.

Nebraska's Casey Thompson (left) celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown with teammate Chancellor Brewington during the game against Indiana on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Lincoln Southeast's Camden Hjermstad hits a ball during the Heartland Athletic Conference championships at Woods Tennis Center.

Lead teacher Jazi Hudnall (center) plays with children (from left) Goamar Gony, Cha'Ziye West, Gloria Retana, Grace Dounda, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, at Community Action K Street Head Start Center in Lincoln.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen moderates a hearing on the voter ID initiative, Tuesday at the state Capitol.

Elkhorn South's Kennadi Borngrebe (top left) celebrates with her teammates after the Storm defeated Lincoln East in a Class A state softball game Thursday at Bill Smith Complex in Hastings.

Lyla Hardrick, 5, of Lincoln, swings to hit a ball during More is Possible Rally, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at Haymarket Park in Lincoln. The outdoor sporting event featured Huskers players, coaches, and alumni to celebrate the 50 anniversary of Title IX.

Malcolm's Hayden Frank (center) stretches into the Lincoln Lutheran endzone to score a touchdown during the third quarter on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at Malcolm Public Schools in Malcolm.

Lincoln East reacts as Madison Adams (19) runs home after hitting one of the 18 homers hit by the Spartans in three district games this week. East beat Columbus 12-0 to win the A-6 district Thursday at Doris Bair Complex.

Lincoln High's Dane Mentore (right) tackles Lincoln East's Dash Bauman (6) during the first half Thursday at Seacrest Field.

Gabriel Wilhelm, 9, closes his ears as the Lincoln Pius X band plays before Friday's game against Waverly at Aldrich Field.

Justine Bassen of Lincoln directs signs toward passing motorists during the Lincoln Women's March on Saturday.

Best of Big Red general manager Joey Rupp poses for a photo with the new foam Cornhead hat Wednesday.

Ashland-Greenwood's Nathan Upton tries to bring down Omaha Roncalli's Wyatt Yetter on runs in the fourth quarter on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at Ashland-Greenwood High School in Ashland.

A section of the the Deadman's run watershed which snakes past the Hansen-Mueller grain silos in Northeast Lincoln is photographed by a drone on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, at in Lincoln. Over the past 20 years, the city and Lower Platte NRD have created master plans to manage flood risk, stream stability and water quality in 14 watersheds in and around Lincoln. A proposed comprehensive master plan updates and combines all those plans, which include long-awaited work on Deadmans Run. City voters approved a bond issue that will help pay for the work to widen nearly 1 1/2 miles of the main channel in north Lincoln, replace bridges and build a stormwater basin.

Lincoln East celebrates after the final point of the second set against Lincoln North Star during a HAC Tournament game Tuesday at East.

During the pandemic, the Rev. Allan Phan of Sacred Heart Church in Crete began speaking to his parishioners through his "Devotions with Daisy" blog on Facebook. The videos of he and his dog have been popular among congregants.

McCook's Evan Humphrey (left) embraces Lincoln Michaelis after winning the Class B No. 1 doubles title on Friday at Woods Tennis Center.

Lincoln Southwest players celebrate after scoring against Lincoln East on Oct. 10 at East High School.

Lincoln Pius X's Nicole Kolbas (middle) reacts after completing the 18th hole at the state girls golf tournament Tuesday at Norfolk Country Club. Kolbas shot a 36-hole 151 to win the tournament for the third consecutive year.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or [email protected].

On Twitter @andrewwegley

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Breaking news reporter

A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021.

A 27-year-old man died Wednesday night in a collision on U.S. 30 in northeast Grand Island.

Troopers tried to stop the woman Wednesday afternoon after clocking her Toyota Highlander speeding westbound at 96 mph, the State Patrol said.

The weather service says up to an inch of snow is possible in Lincoln, and some areas could get a small accumulation of ice.