The city of Arlington says its latest “bright” idea will save taxpayers millions of dollars and help make the roads safer. Over the next six to seven months, crews will replace 10,500 existing city streetlights with new LED lights.
City officials say the benefits of the LED lights are twofold. First, they’re more efficient, so they’ll use less energy and won’t have to be changed as often as existing lights. Second, the light they give off is whiter and covers a wider area, which will give drivers and pedestrians better visibility at night.
The changeover will cost the city $10.5 million upfront but officials expect the project to save the city $14 million down the road in energy costs.
“Not too many times do you find a project that pays for itself,” said Keith Melton, director of Public Works and Transportation for the city of Arlington. “But this one will, over time, pay for itself.”
The new lights have already been installed along Lamar Boulevard as part of an improvement project that recently wrapped up. Crews will begin installing the new lights in other locations later this month.
They’ll begin in the northeast part of the city and work their way south. All of that work will take place at night to help minimize any traffic impacts.
Melton said the lights will be installed along major roadways and arteries first, then crews will go back and change lights in residential areas.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The city is also upgrading air conditioning units and other systems in several of its buildings to help make them more energy efficient and further reduce the city’s energy costs.
