City seeks feedback on LED streetlight test run
The city of Yuma is testing LED (light-emitting diode) streetlights at two major intersections along 4th Avenue and is asking for resident input about how they compare to the traditional yellow-toned lights.
Residents are able to take an online, 10-question survey that asks about people’s nighttime experiences at the pilot intersections, which include 4th Avenue at 8th Street and 4th Avenue at 24th Street.
Some of the questions ask if people could see farther with the LED lighting in place, and if they felt more visible and secure, and if they are aesthetically pleasing.
Pete Montalvo, the city’s public works manager, said that the feedback is instrumental to understanding what citizens want in place.
“We just really want to get some feedback on whether they like them or not,” said Montalvo, who encouraged residents and business owners who travel through the intersections to comment. “The more feedback I receive, the better.”
He said that the city has plans in the next month or so to begin tests in five different Yuma subdivisions and another intersection.
Residents in the future neighborhood test zones will receive printed copies of the survey attached to their front doors.
Montalvo said that the LED lighting has a two to four times longer lifespan than the yellow-tinted, high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights that are currently in Yuma. He said LED lights last from 10 to 20 years compared to five and seven years for the HPS lights.
Not only that, he said, but the LED lights would save the city about 50 percent in electricity, which translates to a 50 percent cost savings as well.
Depending on the infrastructure in place, Montalvo said that the up-front cost to install the lights could also be cheaper, though that savings would mostly come from not having to repair lights as fre-
quently — a manpower savings.
“LED is the way to go to reduce cost and maintenance,” he said.
City spokesperson Dave Nash said while the city doesn’t yet have a program or project in place for a large-scale replacement, it intends to “pursue a partnership with private industry with the goal of having all the upfront costs covered.”
That’s what the city did when it began curbside recycling in the past few years, he said.
According to a recent press release, the city “planned the expected streetlight conversion upon learning the experiences and advantages in other cities.” Montalvo noted that Phoenix and Tucson are two of those cities.
The city has an inventory of nearly 8,000 streetlights. Its survey will remain up through the test period in early November. It can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SK2HWBB.