Controller reporter complains about the lack of taxiway lights at mdw.

Attributes
ACN	169135
Time
Date	199101
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdx
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller radar : 1 flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	169135
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Although no operational errors or pilot deviations, as far as I know, have occurred as a result of this situation, I believe that it is a problem. The problem is the lack of taxiway lights on a good portion of mdw. The enclosed map is color coded to denote where lights are installed. The blue lines indicate area that currently have taxiway lights, the red lines indicate unlit txwys, and the green line indicates a newly opened runway (unused for several yrs) that is currently unlit. I do not have any idea why this situation exists, however it is interesting to note that the areas with taxiway lights is the area most widely used by the air carriers. The difficulties placed on both controllers and pilots in both issuing and following taxi instructions is obvious. The corrective action is also obvious...install taxiway lights. This is a problem that should be so obvious to anyone involved in aviation and associated with this airport that I do not doubt that this has been brought to the attention of the airport authority (and subsequently ignored) on many occasions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT THE LACK OF TAXIWAY LIGHTS AT MDW.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH NO OPERATIONAL ERRORS OR PLT DEVS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS SITUATION, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A PROB. THE PROB IS THE LACK OF TXWY LIGHTS ON A GOOD PORTION OF MDW. THE ENCLOSED MAP IS COLOR CODED TO DENOTE WHERE LIGHTS ARE INSTALLED. THE BLUE LINES INDICATE AREA THAT CURRENTLY HAVE TXWY LIGHTS, THE RED LINES INDICATE UNLIT TXWYS, AND THE GREEN LINE INDICATES A NEWLY OPENED RWY (UNUSED FOR SEVERAL YRS) THAT IS CURRENTLY UNLIT. I DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHY THIS SITUATION EXISTS, HOWEVER IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE AREAS WITH TXWY LIGHTS IS THE AREA MOST WIDELY USED BY THE AIR CARRIERS. THE DIFFICULTIES PLACED ON BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS IN BOTH ISSUING AND FOLLOWING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS IS OBVIOUS. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS ALSO OBVIOUS...INSTALL TXWY LIGHTS. THIS IS A PROB THAT SHOULD BE SO OBVIOUS TO ANYONE INVOLVED IN AVIATION AND ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ARPT THAT I DO NOT DOUBT THAT THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE ARPT AUTHORITY (AND SUBSEQUENTLY IGNORED) ON MANY OCCASIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.