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City begins installing 130,000 new high-efficiency LED streetlights
Officials say the initiative will save money, increase public safety and improve reliability
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The City of Philadelphia celebrated the launch of its Philly Streetlight Improvement Project (PSIP) on Tuesday, which officials estimate will ultimately save money, increase public safety and improve reliability.
City officials gathered at the Shepard Recreation Center in West Philadelphia for a demonstration of what the installment of 130,000 high-efficiency LED streetlights will look like. The new fixtures are longer-lasting and remote-controlled.
The new fixtures can be dimmed or brightened. And, the system will provide instant outage updates.
Emily Schapira, president and CEO of Philadelphia Energy Authority, said the location for Tuesday’s kickoff was intentional.
“It was launched here at Shepard Rec because this is one of the neighborhoods that has high incidents of nighttime crime and a high rate of vehicle and pedestrian crashes, as well as other demographic information that makes it important to provide these boosted light levels in this community,” she said.
The rec center is the first of many more to come. All of the city’s lights will be replaced over the next two years.
“Every roadway light, every alleyway light in the city, all of the commercial corridor and pedestrian lights,” Schapira added.
PSIP is 10 years in the making. More than 1,000 jobs are expected to be created through the initiative, and the city’s carbon footprint is expected to reduce by 10%.