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1. Who do I contact if a streetlight is out?

The streetlight system in the City of Portage is owned and operated by Consumers Energy. The cost for the energy use is paid to Consumers Energy by City of Portage general revenue. If you notice a streetlight is out please visit the Consumers Energy website. Those without access to a computer may call the City of Portage Transportation and Utilities Department at 269-329-4422 to report a streetlight outage.

2. Who do I contact if a traffic signal light is burned out or appears to be not operating correctly?

If a traffic light seems out of sync you may call the Traffic Engineer in the Department of Transportation and Utilities at 269-329-4422.

3. How is the placement of traffic signals determined?

Review our answer on our Traffic Signals Placement page.

4. How do pedestrian signals work?

Review our page on Pedestrian Signals.

5. Is it really necessary for me to push a button to activate the pedestrian signal, or can I just wait for the light to change?

Where buttons are available to pedestrians, it is because the traffic signal is timed for cars, not for people on foot.  If you don't activate the pedestrian signal by pushing the button, the traffic light won't give you enough time to safely cross the street.  You only need to push the button once for it to be activated.

6. Why does it always say, "Don’t walk" before I've completed crossing the street?

The flashing "don't walk" or upraised hand is a warning to people who have not yet entered the intersections that it's too late to safely cross the street before the traffic signal changes allowing cars to proceed. Signals are timed to allow plenty of time for people who have already started walking to safely cross the street.