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West Philly Local

Construction begins on Philadelphia Streetlight Improvement Project

In an effort to improve energy efficiency as well as public safety, the City has kicked off construction for the Philly Streetlight Improvement Project, a citywide initiative to replace and connect approximately 130,000 streetlights into a network of more efficient and longer-lasting diode (LED) lights. The project is co-led by the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA).

The 24-month construction project will reduce streetlighting energy use by more than 50 percent and is the single largest energy conservation project the City has undertaken, reducing municipal carbon emissions by more than nine percent.

The upgraded LED lights will be fully controllable through remote monitoring, providing the City instantaneous updates on outages and the ability to dim and brighten fixtures. The improved reliability and performance will support public safety by improving the ability for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists to see at night.

“Our city’s streetlights have been in use since the 1970s and we are long overdue for an upgrade,” said Carlton Williams, Commissioner for the Department of Streets.

The project will prioritize LED installation in neighborhoods where public safety needs are highest, as identified through night time crime data, night time vehicle crash data, and the 57 Blocks Initiative data. Fixtures are designed to have a warm color temperature, a diffused lens for enhanced visual comfort, and other helpful features, like “boosted” light outputs in priority installation areas. The citywide design reflects the community feedback received from surveys taken across 15 trial installations.

The project will also create local job opportunities for Philadelphians, with 58 percent minority- and women-owned businesses.

In the next two weeks, lights will be replaced along 57th Street in West Philadelphia and in other parts of Cobbs Creek and Carroll Park neighborhoods. See the interactive map here.