Dozens of streetlights across National City have gone dark in recent weeks, and neighbors say it is turning their streets into something out of a blackout drill. Unlit intersections and parks have residents rethinking evening walks and bike rides, and calls for quicker repairs are getting louder. City and utility officials insist crews are on the job, but locals say fixes are slow, spotty, or do not last.
Resident Vanessa Gutierrez has been keeping her own tally and told reporters she has tracked what she estimates are about 20-25 city-owned lights and another 30-40 lights on SDG&E poles that are out. Some complaints in a public repair log go back to 2023, and crews have been spotted working near National City Boulevard and Center Drive as well as the 8th Street and D Avenue intersection, according to FOX 5 San Diego.
Who Owns The Lights And How Repairs Get Scheduled
The city reports there are roughly 1,820 streetlights in National City, with about 585 owned by the city and 1,235 owned by San Diego Gas & Electric. Residents are directed to report problems to Public Works and the National City Connect app. According to the city's street-light maintenance page, the public works department and its contractor handle bulb replacements on city-owned poles after they are reported, and residents can call (619) 336-4580 to log an issue. The municipal page lists typical repair windows of 7-14 working days for routine fixes, while warning that coordination with the utility or the need for parts can delay repairs. The City of National City outlines how to report outages.
SDG&E told reporters its crews are actively working on outages and are evaluating and upgrading remaining utility-owned fixtures, including replacing some lights with more efficient LED units. In a statement to FOX 5 San Diego, SDG&E spokesperson Humberto Gurmilan said the utility repaired several lights in January and expects the bulk of its work in National City to be finished by the end of the month, barring unexpected discoveries.
What Officials Are Saying And How To Report An Outage
Officials say the split between city- and utility-owned poles complicates scheduling and ordering parts, which can stretch repairs beyond the standard timeline for routine bulb replacements. The city's online guidance stresses that using National City Connect or calling Public Works helps crews log and prioritize problems, and the maintenance page breaks down which agency responds depending on who owns the pole. The City of National City includes contact details and step-by-step reporting instructions.
For now, residents say they will keep logging outages, watching crews at work, and pressing for clearer timelines and consistent follow-through. City and utility officials maintain that teams are in the field, but neighborhood groups say they will stay vigilant until the lights are back on and intersections feel safe again.
