City officials got a first-hand look at the progress being made at a Philly Street Light Improvement project which has a goal of replacing 130,000 streetlights. Workers are assembling and testing the lights that leaders hope will create jobs, reduce violence and fight climate change.
Amid an ongoing project that looks to replace every streetlight across the Philadelphia with, what organizers described as "more efficient, longer-lasting LED lights," officials from the city and partnering organizations gathered to tout the efforts success.
"This project has been a decade or more in the making," said Emily Schapira, the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Energy Authority. "Every single streetlight and alleyway light, that's over 130,000 street lights, will be replaced with high quality, energy efficient LED light fixtures."
Since the launch of the program in August of last year, Schapira said, 83,000 streetlights have been installed across the city.
She also said the project is expected to save the city $8 million a year in service and energy costs and, promised that the $91 million project would pay for itself within 10 years.
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Also, Schapira said that she believed the new lighting is helping to cut the crime rate at locations where the new fixtures are installed.
But, she said, organizers of the project would have more details on that come 2025 once an ongoing study by the University of Pennsylvania is complete.
Also, during the day's event, City Councilmember Jim Harrity (D-At-Large) said that the project helps employ young people in the city and the overall project will help save taxpayers money.
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"This is going to save a lot of money for the City of Philadelphia," said Harrity.
The project is ongoing and is expected to be completed sometime in the fall of 2025.
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