City to test new street lights

HOUSTON The City of Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering along with CenterPoint Energy will be asking the public to weigh in on a LED street light pilot program starting today in the Bridgegate Subdivision near the South Sam Houston Parkway and Fuqua. The LED lights will be retrofitted on the current light poles and take a day to complete.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a new and efficient technology that has been implemented into consumer products from flashlights to automobile lights. Now this technology is being tested for use in street lights. The main goal is to reduce energy consumption, carbon footprint, improve lighting for vehicular and pedestrian traffic as well as improve safety with better visibility.

Currently 15 companies will participant in this pilot program which will run for six months. Public viewing and evaluation is encouraged through the city of Houston website at http://www.houstontx.gov/ledpilot.html The use of new technology is expected to provide a significant energy cost savings to the city. When the program is completed, CenterPoint will measure the energy savings to determine the product that provides the best value. The public's input is also part of the evaluation process.

Installation of the LED lights will not impact traffic in the area and the only differences residents will notice are the color and brightness of the lights. When the pilot program is completed the original lights will be replaced and the test LED lights will be removed for laboratory test.

The City of Houston pays approximately $3 million a month for the 177,000 street lights that are installed in City of Houston right of ways. Sixty percent of these lights are installed in residential neighborhoods.

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