GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The Grand Rapids City Commission has approved the adoption of LED lights for all neighborhood street lighting.
Existing street lighting will be replaced starting this summer. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete.
There are about 18,000 streetlights in Grand Rapids and 2,000 already have been converted to LED through maintenance and other projects. The city expects an estimated annual energy savings of about $350,000 when all the older lights are replaced.
The contract approved for the work is about $6.2 million and will not exceed $9.4 million when automated system controls are added, officials said.
“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,” Public Services Managing Director James Hurt said. “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.”
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