Concerns over freeway street lighting outages took center stage at the Austin City Council meeting on May 8, 2025, as residents voiced frustration over Austin Energy's lack of action. A local resident highlighted ongoing issues with street lighting, stating that many repairs have been promised but remain unfulfilled, leading to dangerous conditions on major freeways.

The speaker urged the council to intervene, emphasizing that Austin Energy has not acted in good faith regarding the repairs. "A year has passed from my first complaints, and they're still refusing to make the difficult repairs," the resident stated, detailing specific issues such as conduit breaks and wire shorts that have left sections of the freeway dark for extended periods.

The resident also criticized the current 3-1-1 process, which allows Austin Energy to close repair requests without completing the necessary work. "They promise repairs and don't do them," the speaker lamented, noting that poles have been down for over a year and that fatalities have increased due to the lack of lighting.

The urgency of the situation was underscored by the mention of recent fatalities linked to dark underpasses, including two murders in the last six months. The resident called for immediate action, asking the council to communicate the critical nature of these repairs to city staff and Austin Energy, stressing that "dark freeways are not acceptable ever."

As the meeting progressed, the council was urged to take a more active role in ensuring that Austin Energy prioritizes these repairs, with the hope that swift action could prevent further accidents and enhance public safety on Austin's roadways.