GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — All 18,000 Grand Rapids streetlights are getting a fresh look thanks to a new project.
Crews are making their way around the city changing out the fixtures with LED ones. More than 15,000 are already switched out.
The project is now in its final phase, installing 1,000 LEDs a month for the remaining three areas.
The remaining areas are as follows: the Cheshire, Creston, Monroe, Michigan Street, Heartside, Division South, East Fulton and Cherry/Lake/Diamond neighborhoods and business districts.
The work is unlikely to disrupt traffic, and the city says you'll likely not notice the project is underway until its done.
The city chose to switch to LEDs for economic, safety and environmental reasons. City Engineer Tim Burkman said the new lights have already saved Grand Rapids significant electrical costs.
An annual saving of $350,000 is expected once all lights are fully operational.
“Our primary goal in arriving at this decision was the safety of our residents and neighborhoods, which is a critical objective in the City’s strategic plan,” Burkman said.
The project aligns with strategic plan objectives, including:
- residents feeling safe in their neighborhoods at all times
- community engagement through surveys for residents’ perception of City services, events, programs and facilities
- improving cost-effectiveness through asset management, continuous improvement and innovation.
- reduce carbon emissions and increase climate resiliency by reducing the carbon footprint of the city’s electrical utility.
“We know that most accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists happen at night, and many of those are the result of poor visibility. Additionally, better lighting will make residents feel safer in their own neighborhoods — cities like Detroit have seen great results when they transitioned to this LED temperature for their street lighting," he said.
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