Street lights and signs

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Streetlighting

The City of Ottawa maintains over 76,000 streetlights on public property, in partnership with Envari Energy Solutions Inc. Some decorative streetlights, and those on private property, are maintained by other agencies.

The LED Street Light Conversion Project was completed in 2022, maximizing all opportunities for increased roadway safety, while ensuring energy and maintenance cost savings. Approximately 58,000 standard streetlight fixtures were converted from high-pressure sodium (HPS) to Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology.

As of 2022, the converted fixtures are achieving on average 64% energy savings with an associated cumulative energy reduction of approximately 21,700,000 kWh. Maintenance costs for these fixtures have been reduced by 50%.

In addition to energy and maintenance savings, the conversion to LED has the following benefits:

  • More precise roadway lighting levels through the use of a Lighting Controls System;
  • Enhanced monitoring through daily reporting of malfunctioning streetlights;
  • Enhanced safety because of improved LED colour rendering; and,
  • A reduction in trespass light and reduced light pollution.

Street lighting response times

Nature of Problem Investigation Response Time
Residential  
1 to 9 lights out Maximum 7 working days
10 to 20 lights out Next working day
More than 20 lights out Within 24 hours
Arterials, Commercial and Industrial Roads  
1 to 4 lights Maximum 7 working days
5 to 10 lights Next working day
More than 10 lights out, or all lights within an intersection Within 24 hours

These are timelines to dispatch a crew for investigation. In the event repairs cannot be completed at that time, restoration times can vary significantly.

Gateway Speed Limit Signs

As of May 1, 2018, Ontario municipalities can now use new gateway speed limit signs to designate roadways within residential areas with a reduced speed limit of less than 50 km/h.  

Gateway speed limit signs are posted at each entry and exit point to a community where lower speeds are in effect. The Entry Gateway Speed Limit Sign identifies the beginning of a legal speed limit that applies to all roadways within an area.  The Exit Gateway Speed Limit Sign marks the end of the lower speed limit. All streets that fall within the posted entry sign and exit sign are designated with the same speed limit identified on the gateway signs. Samples of Gateway Speed Limit Entry and Exit Signs are shown below: 

Image of an Entry Gateway Speed Limit Sign which consists of three signs: a regulatory speed limit sign, a blue sign tab with the text “Area / Secteur” in yellow font, and a regulatory “Begin / Début” tab.
Image of an Exit Gateway Speed Limit Sign which consists of three signs: a regulatory speed limit sign, a blue sign tab with the text “Area / Secteur” in yellow font, and a regulatory “Ends / Fin” tab.

Roadside Memorial Sign Program

Program

The Roadside Memorial Sign Program, established in 2015, assists families or groups who wish to have a roadside memorial sign installed along a City-owned right-of-way in remembrance of a loved one who has passed away as a result of a traffic incident.  

Process

  •  Only residents of Ottawa may be commemorated through this program.
  •  A request may be made by a family member or friend.
  •  An application form must be completed and signed by an immediate family member of the nominee.
  •  An Ontario Provincial Offences Act check is required for the nominee. The check is initiated and reviewed by the City of Ottawa. Any outstanding conviction or infraction  may result in the disqualification of an application. 
  •  A sworn affidavit* must be submitted by the nominator with the application form (see page 4 of the application package).
  •  The cost of a roadside memorial sign is $250 (plus HST), which includes the cost of fabrication and maintenance of the sign for two (2) years.
  •  After two years, the nominator will be given the option for the sign to be removed and provided to them or to be left up without maintenance.
  •  Nominators will be given a one-time option of having a new sign installed for $250 (plus HST).
  •  The nominator can ask for the sign to be removed and turned over to them at any time.

*Any fees associated with a sworn affidavit are the responsibility of the nominator.

Signs

  • The installed sign will read: “Drive Safely, in memory of ‘name(s) of victim(s)’.”, with black lettering over a white background
  • The dimensions of the sign will be approximately: 24” L x 35” H
  • The sign will contain both English and French messaging

Application

Should you wish to purchase a roadside memorial sign, please contact 3-1-1.

Underground locates

Digging near Your House?

Before you dig, call Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255 or visit their website.

The City and other services have underground locates running in many backyards, front yards and side lots. Underneath your house, you could find:

  • Gas pipelines
  • Electrical services
  • Telephone and cable TV infrastructure
  • Water and sewer connections
  • Streetlight or traffic signal wiring

Ontario One Call co-ordinates with all organizations who own infrastructure in your area.

Therefore, all residents and excavators must call before they dig. Locates are free to obtain and should be requested at least 5 days prior to any planned excavation. You may not proceed with your digging until all locates are identified. If locates are not obtained and infrastructure is damaged, the homeowner and/or contractor is 100 per cent responsible for all costs associated with repairs.

Do You Need Emergency Locates?

For emergency locates, please call Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255. As of June 15, 2014, the City of Ottawa will no longer action direct requests for locates.

Decommissioned street name signs

Buy your own little piece of Ottawa. Park Place and Boardwalk have nothing on names like Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. There’s opportunity to own select City of Ottawa street name signs as they become available due to operational maintenance replacements. Street name signs are replaced when streets are re-named, and when signs from former municipalities are removed from service to avoid duplication.  

These decommissioned signs can be purchased for $10 each. Signs can be picked up and paid for at 175 Loretta Avenue North. If a requested street name is unclaimed for one month, it will go back into the inventory.

Select your favourite signs from the alphabetical list below. All signs are sold on a first come, first serve basis. The list below will be updated as signs are purchased or as  new signs become available. Check back periodically to see if your sign has made the list.

To request a street name sign or for any further questions: StreetNameSigns@ottawa.ca 

If you do not receive a response to your email, the sign has already been sold. 

Street sign availability
Starting street letter Street name Number available.
A Acacia Ave 5
Adams Ave 0
Adley Rd 1
Ahearn Ave 1
Alenmede Cres 1
Aleutian Rd 2
Alfred St 2
Alice St 0
Alton St 2
Amberdale Cres 1
Ambiance Dr 1
Amesbrooke Dr 1
Andora Ave 1
Anoka St 1
Applewood Cres 1
Arch St 4
Argyle Ave 1
Arizona Ave 0
Arnold Dr 1
Arnot Rd 1
Ashdale Ave 1
Aster St 0
Atwater St 2
Audrey Ave 1
Aurora Cres 1
Autumnwood St 1
Avenue Rd 2
Azurite Cres 1
     
B Baffin Ave 2
Balharrie Ave  1
Banbury Cres 1
Banff Ave 0
Barwell Ave 1
Beattie Ave 1
Beaumont Rd 1
Beausoleil Dr 1
Beech St 2
Begonia Ave 1
Bellwood Ave 1
Beverly Ave 1
Billings Ave 4
Bingham St 0
Bittern Crt 1
Blackhorse Crt 1
Blossom Dr 3
Bongard Ave 1
Booth St 0
Bowman Rd 1
Boyer Rd 0
Braeside Ave 1
Brennan Ave 0
Brian Coburn Blvd 1
Briar Ave 1
Briar Hill Dr 2
Bristol Ave 2
Brookdale St 1
Brookfield Rd 1
Buchan Rd 2
Buell St 1
Buena Vista Rd 2
Burntwood Ave 1
Byers Crt 1
C Cabot St 2
Camborne Cres 1
Camrose St 3
Canborne Cres 1
Carmelia Ave 1
Carnegie St 2
Castleton St 1
Cavendish Rd 2
Cedarbank Ave 1
Centennial Blvd 1
Century Rd 1
Charkay St 1
Chalmers Rd 0
Chapel Cres 2
Chapman Blvd 0
Chatelain Ave 1
Chevrier St 1
Circle Pl 1
Clarence St E 0
Claridge Dr 1
Cleary Ave 0
Clemow Ave 0
Clifton Rd 2
Cobalt Ave 1
Cobourg St 1
Colindale Ave 1
Colonel By Dr 0
Colson Ave 0
Concord St 1
Connecticut Ave 1
Conrad Ave 1
Constance Creek Dr 1
Cork St 3
Cornerstone Priv 1
Cornice St 1
Cornish St 1
Cory St 1
Costello Ave 1
Courtice Ave 1
Crescent Rd 1
Crestview Rd 1
Crestview Rd 1
Cross Ave 1
Crossfield Ave 1
Cunningham Ave 0
Cypress Crt 1
D Dakota Ave 2
Danbury Way 0
Danniston Cres 1
Dauphin Rd 1
Delmar Dr 5
Dempsey Ave 1
Denbury Ave 1
Des Serins Ln 1
Devonshire Pl 1
Dickens Ave 1
Domalatchy Pl 1
Donnington Pl 1
Dorset Dr 2
Dorval Ave 1
Drummond St 0
Duhamel St 1
Dunelm St 1
Dunkirk Cres 1
Dunrobin Ave 1
Dunvegan Rd 1
Durocher St 2
E Earl Mulligan Dr 1
Eastbourne Ave 1
Eastlane Rd 1
Echo Dr 1
Edgeworth Ave 0
Elgin St 0
Ellen Dr 1
Elliot Ave 1
Ellsett Dr 1
Ellsworth Ln 1
Elmira Dr 1
Elmside Ave 1
Elmwood Ave 1
Elterwater Ave 0
Emerald Ave 1
Emslie Ave 1
Esquimault Ave 0
Evaston Ave 1
Evelyn Ave 0
Evered Ave 1
F Faircrest Rd 2
Fairdale Ave 1
Fairmeadow Cres 1
Falaise Rd 1
Fanshaw Ave 1
Farnsworth Ave 1
Featherston Dr 2
Ferndale Ave 0
Fernhill Rd 1
Fife Cres 1
Fifth Ave 0
Finchley Dr 1
Fleming Ave 0
Flewellyn Dr 1
Florida Ave 0
Forward Ave 1
Fourth Line Rd 1
Fringewood Dr 1
Frost Ave 1
  Furby Ave 1
G Garand Place 1
Gaultois Ave 1
Geneva St 1
Georgina Dr 1
Gilbey Dr 1
Gleeson Way 1
Glencairn Ave 1
Glenview Ave 1
Glenwood Ave 1
Golden St 1
Goodman Dr 2
Goren Ave 2
Grace St 0
Grand Gala Dr 1
Green Ave 1
H   Haddington Cres 0
Haig Dr 0
Hall St 1
Halldon Pl 1
Hamlet Rd 1
Hamilton St 2
Harding Rd 0
Harwick Cres 0
Harwood Ave 1
Hazel Ave 0
Heaton Ave 1
Heritage Glen Drive 2
Herridge St 3
Highcroft Ave 1
Highfield Cres 1
Hillary Ave 2
Hillsdale Pl 1
Hillview Rd 0
Holt Cres 0
Horner Dr 1
Horton St 1
Howick St 1
Howland Ave 3
Hunterswood Cres 0
I Illinois Ave 2
Innes Rd 1
Irvin Pl 1
Irvine Pl 1
Isidore St 1
J Jefferson St 1
Joliffe St 2
Juno Ave 3
K Kaladar Ave 1
Killbarry Cres 1
Killborn Ave 4
Kimdale St 1
Kindersley Ave 1
Kinglet Way 1
Kirchoffer Ave 1
Klondike Rd 0
Knox Cres 1
L Lanark Ave 2
Lancaster Rd 1
Landel Dr 1
Lansdowne Rd N 0
Laxford Dr 2
Lemay Cres 0
Lenester Ave 1
Leopolds Dr 1
Letchworth Rd 1
Lewis St 0
Lindenlea Dr 1
Lockhead Rd W 1
Loisisana Dr 2
Long Meadow Way 1
Longwood Ave 1
Lorraine Ave 0
Lovitt Rd 1
Lowrey St 1
Lyndale Ave 2
M Mackay St 1
Magnus Ave 2
Malvern Dr 0
Manchester St 1
Mann Ave 1
Manor Ave 1
Maple Lane 2
Mariposa Ave 3
Market Place Ave 0
Marlowe Cres 2
Martha Ave 1
Marquette Ave 1
Marshall Crt 0
Matthews Ave 0
Mayfair Ave 1
McCarthy Rd 1
McGillivray St 1
McMaster Ave 0
McQuaig St 2
Melfort St 2
Merivale Rd 0
Merritt Ave 0
Metcalfe St 0
Micmac St 1
Middleton Dr 1
Mill Hill Rd 1
Minto Pl 1
Monroe Ave 1
Monteith St 1
Monterey Dr 0
Montfort St 2
Montrose Ave 1
Moodie Dr 0
Mountbatten Ave 1
Mountshannon Dr 1
Mulvagh 1
Mutchmor Rd 1
Myrtle Ave 1
  Naples Ave 1
N Nautica Priv 1
Navaho Dr 3
Neelin Dr 1
Nelson St 0
Newhaven St 2
Newland Dr 1
Norman St 0
Northgraves Cres 1
Northwestern Ave 1
Norwood Ave 1
O Oakbriar Cres 1
Oakwell Dr 1
Oberon St 1
O'Connor St 1
Okee St 1
Olympia Cres  0
Old Prospect Rd 1
Old Richmond Rd 1
Orchard Ave 3
Oriska Way 1
  Othello Ave 1
P Palen Ave 1
Palm St 1
Palmadeo Dr 2
Park Rd 2
Parkhill Cir 1
Patro St 2
Playfair Dr 3
Pleasant Park Rd 4
Plesser St 3
Plover Ln 1
Poplar St 1
Portage Ave 1
Portal St 1
Portland Ave 1
Premier Ave 3
Presland Rd 1
Primrose Ave 1
Princeton Ave 1
Prudhomme Priv 2
Putman Ave 2
Q Qualicum St 0
Queenston Dr 1
Quinlan Rd 1
Quinton St 1
R Rachael Ave 1
Radstock Priv 1
Ramsey Cres 1
Randall Ave 1
Raymond St 0
Rector Ave 1
Redcor Cres 1
Reeves Cres 3
Regina Lane 1
Renfield Rd 1
Rhodes Cres 1
Rhodes Crt 1
Richmond Rd 1
Rickwood St 1
Rideau River Dr 0
Rideau Terr 1
Rideau Valley Dr S 0
Rideauview Cres 0
Rideout Cres 0
Ridgecrest Priv 1
Ridgefield Cres 0
Ridgeway Way 1
Robert St 0
Rockway Cres 1
Rocky Creek Way 1
Roger Rd 1
Ronald Ave 1
Roseglen Priv 1
Rosemere Ave 0
Rosetta Ave 1
Roslyn Ave 1
Roswell Dr 0
Roycroft Lane 1
Ruth St 2
Ryder St 1
S Sanderson Dr 2
Saunderson Dr 1
Sauterne Park 1
Saville Row 1
Scotia Pl 2
Selby Ave 1
Settler's Ridge Way 1
Shakespeare St 1
Shamir Ave 1
Sharel Dr 2
Shoreham Av 1
Silverbell Cres 1
Simcoe St 1
Simpson Rd 1
Sioux Cres 2
Sir Guy Carleton St 1
Soderlind St 0
Southern Rd 1
Springhurst Ave 3
St-Ambroise Ave 1
St-Charles St 1
Ste-Monique St 1
Stevenage Dr 1
Stewart St 0
Stirling Ave 0
Stoneway Dr 1
St-Paul St 1
Strandherd Dr 0
Stratford St 1
Streamline St 1
Summerview Terr 1
Sunnymede Ave 2
Sunnyside Ave 1
Swansea Cres 1
Sycamore Dr 1
T Tampa Ave 1
Tavistock Rd 1
Tawney Rd 3
Tedder Ave 1
Terrebonne Dr 2
Thessaly Circle 3
Thistle Cres 0
Thornwood Rd 1
Tilbury Ave O/W 1
Tilson St 1
Titan Priv 0
Toronto St 0
Trenton Ave  1
Trim Rd 2
Tupper Ave 1
Turnberry Rd 1
U Ullswater Dr 1
Urbandale Dr 0
V Valley Dr 1
Valmarie Ave 2
Vaughan St 2
Viewmont Dr 1
Vincent St 1
Virgil Rd 1
Virginia Dr 1
W Waterfall Lane 1
Waterpark Pl 1
Wellesley Ave 1
West Hunt Club Rd 0
Westcliffe Rd 1
Western Ave 0
Westlane Rd 1
Weston Drive 4
Westview Ave 1
Whitburn Ave 1
Whitemarl Dr 1
Willowdale Ave 1
Windermere Ave 1
Winding Way 0
Winfield Ave 1
Wingate Dr 1
Winona Ave 4
Wolverton Cres 1
Woodgate Way 1
Woodroffe Ave 0
Wyndale Cres 1