Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

Review our answer on our Traffic Signals Placement page.

Review our page on Pedestrian Signals.

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.

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.

You may learn the current status of I-94 widening projects at the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) website. You may also contact the local MDOT office at 269-375-8900 to obtain further details about a MDOT project.

You may find out about current street projects and detours through our Street Construction page or our Local Road Alerts page. You may also contact the Transportation and Utilities Department at 269-329-4422 to obtain further details about a project.

All public streets in the city are swept twice each year - once in the spring and again in the fall in conjunction with the Fall Leaf Pickup.