More than 4,000 streetlights converted to LEDs in one Colorado city to provide better visibility
In one Colorado city, thousands of streetlights are being converted to LEDs. The City of Boulder says this will provide better quality of lighting across the city and also help reduce crashes.
The City of Boulder is working with CLI Services for the replacement. The contractors will replace 4,400 streetlights with new LEDs. Crews are working on the intersection of 6th Street and Boulder Canyon Drive Thursday morning.
The City of Boulder says the old lights are high-pressure sodium lights that are depreciated and do not meet safety standards. The new LEDs will seem brighter and take some adjustments. These new lights will not only make roads more visible but will save costs for the city; up to one million dollars a year after seven years.
The City of Boulder says smart controllers will also be installed. This will automatically notify the city streetlight team when there are outages. Previously, residents had to report the outages.
The City of Boulder says that the new lights shine brighter in areas, this will provide more safety for bikers, walkers and drivers.
"With the light situation being more directed downwards, a lot of that light is concentrated to the actual road and sidewalks, rather than being dispersed out towards locations that are not lit," Veronica Son, Transportation Engineer for the City of Boulder said.
The entire project will cost the city around $9.2 million. Funding came mostly from the "Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety Tax." This is 0.3% dedicated sales and use tax that Boulder voters approved for citywide capital infrastructure needs. Additional funding sources came from the Transportation and Mobility department and other city departments that came together to cover costs since it is a citywide benefit.
This project is expected to take 15 to 18 months to complete. Find full details online at the City of Boulder website.
