A Weslaco woman is working to light up her dark neighborhood.

Marie Chavez says when night falls, East Loop Street is illuminated by a single light pole, and the dark is causing safety concerns.

Chavez says she's repeatedly asked the city for increased lighting, but still, many residents have resorted to supplying their own lights.

Chavez started a petition and took it to city hall in 2021, but says nothing came of it. 

"I feel that they don't pay attention, just because we live in a neighborhood like this, but if you go further up, you see the big houses and everything— they have street lights and everything," Chavez said. "We all pay taxes."

While she hasn't voiced the lack of lighting concerns during a city commission meeting, she hopes the movement can spark some change.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the city of Weslaco, Cristina Garcia, said this particular neighborhood does not have infrastructure for the installation of street lights, asking that any concerned residents contact the city's engineering department. 

Read the entire statement below: 

"The city of Weslaco prioritizes the safety of our community. As such, in recent years, administration and city leaders adopted new requirements that require developers to have electricity posts installed in their newly developed neighborhoods. These posts are installed and maintained by AEP Texas, the electric utility which transmits electricity throughout much of Texas. The establishment of this particular neighborhood pre-dates those requirements, and as a result, no infrastructure for the installation of street lights exists in that area. We ask that any concerned resident in this area contact the city’s engineering department for further information as staff serves as experts in their respective fields to include civil engineering. Our city staff regularly meets with residents and is available to detail the constraints in this area and, if applicable, offer viable and fiscally responsible solutions."