The City of Gary is moving into the next phase of its infrastructure overhaul as officials announced the launch of a 2026 Traffic Signal Initiative, expanding on the city’s ongoing “Relight the City” program.
The initiative will focus on repairing and upgrading traffic signals across Gary, funded in part by more than $2 million in savings generated from the city’s transition to energy-efficient LED streetlighting. The effort builds on $3.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding approved by the Gary Common Council to support the broader initiative.
Mayor Eddie Melton said the program represents a shift from restoring street lighting to addressing traffic safety concerns that have persisted for years.
“Last year, our main focus was ensuring we illuminated the city that had been dark for more than two decades,” Melton said. “This year, we’re focusing on upgrading many of our traffic signals throughout our city. Through the investment in streetlights, those cost savings have allowed us to address another longstanding issue that has plagued our city.”
For years, residents across Gary have raised concerns about non-functioning streetlights and traffic signals—issues city officials say contributed to safety risks and diminished quality of life in many neighborhoods. The current phase of improvements is expected to build on recent progress while addressing infrastructure challenges that have accumulated over time.
According to the city, the Relight the City initiative has already converted 1,054 streetlight fixtures to LED. In addition, 194 existing LED fixtures and 154 poles have been repaired. With 42 poles still remaining, officials expect the streetlight portion of the project to be completed by spring, weather permitting.
Although the initial phase focused primarily on replacing missing poles, the scope has expanded to include the replacement of aging infrastructure nearing the end of its useful life, allowing the city to take a more proactive approach to preventing future outages.
City officials said cost savings generated from the transition to LED lighting are now being reinvested into additional infrastructure improvements, extending the impact of the original funding and allowing the city to tackle multiple long-standing issues simultaneously.
“Our focus remains on modernizing Gary’s infrastructure and keeping our residents and visitors safe,” Melton said. “By restoring traffic signals and completing streetlight upgrades by the end of 2026, we are delivering tangible improvements that the community can see and rely on.”
Functioning streetlights and traffic signals play a critical role in reducing traffic accidents, improving pedestrian visibility, and enhancing overall neighborhood safety—particularly along high-traffic corridors, near schools, and in areas with consistent foot traffic.
Work on traffic signals is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and will continue throughout the spring, with initial efforts focused on high-traffic intersections along key corridors before expanding citywide.
As part of the upgrades, selected intersections will receive new signal heads and pedestrian “Walk/Don’t Walk” indicators aimed at improving both traffic flow and pedestrian safety. In some cases, traffic studies determined that certain intersections are underutilized and will be converted to stop-sign control with updated signage.
Residents may notice temporary stop signs, construction activity, and changes in traffic patterns as work progresses. City officials are urging drivers and pedestrians to remain alert in affected areas during the transition.
Major corridors such as Broadway and portions of 4th and 5th avenues are not included in the project, as those roadways fall under state control and are maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The improvements are expected to have a noticeable impact in neighborhoods that have long experienced inconsistent lighting and infrastructure challenges, as the city works to modernize systems that many residents say have been unreliable for years.
Officials said the city expects to complete remaining streetlight work by spring and fully implement traffic signal upgrades by the end of 2026, marking a key benchmark in the administration’s broader infrastructure agenda.
As the city moves into this next phase, officials say the goal is not only to modernize infrastructure but to restore a sense of safety and reliability for residents who have waited years for consistent lighting and fully functioning traffic controls.