CRJ900 Captain reports many taxiway centerline lights are inoperative at JFK; which are required due to the use of nonstandard fiberglass poles as taxiway edge markers.

Narrative

New York City's JFK taxiways are a safety hazard at night. Unlike elsewhere in the U.S. and the world; fiberglass side poles instead of lights mark taxiways at JFK; LGA; EWR and PHL. Green taxiway centerline lights are required for this very unusual FAA approved waiver. Even in ideal conditions this waiver creates an undesirable and hazardous situation taxiing at night. At night in JFK; taxiways are a safety hazard because a very large number of required green centerline lights are inoperable. This safety hazard has apparently existed for years. On a night flight April/2009; we notified Ground Control that the entire southeastern 'hotspot' on Taxiway 'B' between 'L' and 'H' turning the corner between runways was completely dark (over 1000 FT). This area is labeled a 'hotspot' on all JFK airport diagrams because it is so close to active runways and is a complicated intersection that curves around the airport. The Ground Controller stated his board showed the centerline lights were illuminated. We restated that no lights were on in this area. He said that he was not surprised and that many more lights were not functioning on the field and had been inoperative for a long time. In fact while taxiing in JFK we noticed more than a hundred other green centerline lights in various areas inoperative as well as several inoperative taxiway location/direction signs. The strange taxiway light waiver should be quickly phased out at JFK; LGA; EWR and PHL. All users of the above airports should be alerted to the operational hazards associated with operating at these airports at night.