Program Overview

The City’s streetlight program is intended to improve nighttime visibility and enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists in areas with insufficient lighting.

The City completed its original 12-light solar pilot program in March 2025, with installations along Cocapah Street, Tatum Street, Spires Street, and Onley Drive. Phase 2 of the program includes 97 additional solar streetlights throughout Vista.

Depending on site conditions and available infrastructure, the City may determine that a traditional grid-connected streetlight or a solar-powered streetlight is the most appropriate option.

Help Us Identify Streetlight Needs in Vista

The City of Vista’s Solar Street Lighting Program uses sustainable, energy-efficient technology to improve visibility and enhance safety in neighborhoods throughout the community.

Request a Solar Streetlight

The City of Vista accepts requests for new streetlights in areas where residents have concerns about insufficient lighting. Requests are evaluated based on existing conditions, public-safety needs, technical feasibility, neighborhood support, project priorities, and available funding.

Complete the form below to submit an initial streetlight request:

Solar Streetlight Request Form

Formulario de solicitud de farolas solares

Neighborhood Petition Process

On August 25, 2026, the Vista City Council approved Policy 600-14, establishing a community petition and prioritization process for proposed streetlight installations.

The process generally includes the following steps:

1. A resident submits a streetlight request.
2. City staff evaluates the existing lighting conditions, roadway characteristics, safety considerations, and general feasibility of the location.
3. If the location is eligible, City staff identifies the proposed streetlight location and prepares a map of the properties included in the petition area.
4. The resident circulates the City-provided petition to the identified property owners.
5. At least 60% of the property owners within approximately 200 feet of each proposed streetlight must support the installation.
6. City staff reviews the completed petition and evaluates the location for spacing, infrastructure requirements, potential conflicts, cost, and other site conditions.
7. Qualifying requests are placed on a prioritized list and considered as funding becomes available.
8. If funding is available, the proposed installation is presented to the City Council for final approval. The City will notify an area wider than the original petition area before the Council meeting.

The petition allows affected property owners to indicate whether they support or oppose the proposed installation or were not contacted.

If the City Traffic Engineer determines that a streetlight is necessary for traffic-safety reasons, such as at an intersection or curve, the City may proceed without a petition after notifying the immediately adjacent properties.

Petition Process

 How Requests Are Prioritized

Because funding is limited, not every eligible streetlight request can be completed immediately. City staff may evaluate and rank locations using the following criteria:

• High crime rate
• High collision area
• No existing lighting
• High pedestrian activity
• Lack of sidewalks
• Proximity to public transportation and/or the city center

Requests that satisfy the petition requirements will be placed on a prioritized list with other qualifying locations. Installations will be considered in priority order as funding becomes available.

Why Solar-Powered Streetlights?

Solar-powered streetlights offer several community and environmental benefits. They can be installed more quickly than traditional streetlights, reduce reliance on the electrical grid, lower long-term electricity costs, and support the City’s sustainability goals.

For questions regarding an existing request or the petition process, please contact:

London Adams, Management Analyst 

Direct: (760) 643-5206

ladams@vista.gov