Why are some street lights purple in Vancouver? Here's what the city says

Purple street lights seen in downtown Vancouver, B.C.

While driving, cycling or walking through downtown Vancouver at night, some residents and visitors have noticed a purple glow coming from street lights.

As it turns out, the colourful effect isn't on purpose – it's caused by a manufacturer error related to the coating of the LED lights, the City of Vancouver told CTV News Vancouver in an emailed statement.

All purple street lights in the city are being replaced under warranty by the manufacturer, American Electric Lighting.

The city said the problem was first noticed in 2021 and it's believed to be connected to lights installed between June 2017 and June 2019. In total, an estimated 350 lights may be impacted and 111 have been reported as already having the purple hue.

The city said the company's also analyzed the problem to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"There is no health risk associated with the unintended colour, and the city is working with the manufacturer to identify and replace all failures," the city's statement said.

On Vancouver Island, affected lights along the Malahat were identified for replacement, according to the Transportation Ministry. 

"This has occurred at isolated locations and is not anticipated to be an ongoing issue," the ministry said in a statement in June.

The problem's not unique to B.C., as the glow's been spotted in other major cities across North America including cities in Kansas, Maryland and Nebraska.

 

With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Adam Chan