They’ve also popped up in Vancouver and in parts of Wisconsin, Florida, and California. While driving down a purple-hued street might seem fun, it could potentially be hazardous.

Yet there’s been a rise in recent years of reports that some streetlights are giving off a purple haze—a very emo teenager vibe that’s better suited for Hot Topic than public thruways.

55,000 street lights The city estimates there are about 55,000 streetlights in Vancouver. That's about one for every dozen people (without a few left in the dark).

In Milwaukee, at least 300 streetlights installed in 2018 began taking on a purple hue in 2021. In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, some city streetlights took on a blueish-purple tint the same year, as did ...

In 1886, the City of Vancouver was officially founded, so light bulbs were a fairly recent invention at that time. By 1914, lights and other uses for electricity meant huge electrical poles were built ...