City of York Council and Amey are spending £1m on overhauling streetlights.
Works are now underway across the city to replace columns which were removed because they were structurally unsafe and posed an immediate risk to the public.
Cllr Dafydd Williams, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods at City of York Council, said: "This programme of works is the biggest overhaul of streetlights in York since the Victorian times.
"We've allocated £1 million in this year's budget to upgrade and replace streetlights that are in need of urgent repair.
"We've also taken into account that a lot of York's streetlights are antiques that help to provide York's unique character. So, it's important that they are replaced right and in order to do this we're working closely with the Reinvigorate York team on all lights being replaced within the city's walls and conservation areas."
A spokesperson for Amey, said: "This investment is a significant step forward in addressing the streetlighting issues in York.
"While our work to survey lighting columns in and around the district is still underway, we are working closely with the council to develop a programme of works which will see the biggest overhaul of the city's streetlighting since Victorian times."
Extensive work has already been undertaken including a citywide survey last year to test over 9,000 steel columns.
As a result of this survey a replacement programme of works has started this month, which will see approximately 1,100 concrete and steel streetlights replaced.
The work to assess the safety of the city's lighting columns will continue, but works to replace around seven per cent of the total light stock has now begun.
Works are scheduled to take place in each of York's 22 Ward areas on a priority basis, and the programme of replacement works is estimated to be complete by late summer.