City of Richmond begins pilot program testing LED street lighting, soliciting citizen feedback online

As more and more cities convert their existing street lighting to LED bulbs, the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities is testing the technology as well. Recently, the department’s streetlight utility division has responded to suggestions made by citizens to move to the more environmentally friendly option and began testing lighting options in four areas of town.

Installation of the test lighting, which shines with a bright white glow and provides a more equal distribution of illumination, has taken place on Jefferson Davis Highway between Elton Street and N. Hopkins Road; Brook Road between Sherwood Avenue and Dubois Avenue; Forest Hill Avenue between Jahnke Road and Westover Hills Boulevard; and New Kent Avenue between Cedar Lane and W 45th Street.

The new lighting replaces the city’s standard HPS (high pressure sodium) streetlights, which burn on, average, between two and five years before needing replacement and emit a soft orange glow. LED lighting averages a 15 to 20 year lifespan, meaning investment in the new technology could save taxpayers money in replacement costs and energy costs once installation costs have been recouped.

The city is currently conducting an online survey soliciting citizen feedback on the new lights. It asks questions about the new lights’ hue, visibility, and whether they provide adequate lighting in order for citizens to feel safe crossing or traveling city streets.

The survey results may impact whether the pilot program is expanded or scrapped, but no word on whether the city intends to eventually replace all streetlights city-wide with LEDs. The Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority is currently replacing older filament bulbs along the Downtown Expressway (I-195) with LED lighting. Light poles along the toll road are not installed or managed by the Department of Public Utilities.

You can take the online survey here.