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Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly will replace every streetlight over the next two years, starting with high-crime neighborhoods

Philadelphia officials said the effort will result in a 10% reduction of the municipal government’s carbon emissions and is the largest energy conservation project the city has ever undertaken.

by Anna Orso

Philadelphia will replace all of the city’s 130,000 streetlights with energy-efficient bulbs over the next two years with the dual purpose of showering high-crime neighborhoods in brighter light and cutting electricity use citywide.

The project has been in development since 2016 and is being financed through a more than $90 million bond issued by the Philadelphia Energy Authority. City officials say it will result in a 10% reduction of the municipal government’s carbon emissions and is the largest energy conservation project the city has ever undertaken.

The project does not include the construction of new streetlights, just the modernization of existing ones. Crews will replace old, high-pressure sodium streetlights with longer-lasting, light-emitting diode (LED) lights. They’ll also install technology that will allow for the lights to be monitored remotely, meaning the city will not need to rely on residents to report outages.

And according to Streets Department officials, the energy savings will be enough to cover the debt service for the project. Construction on the project will be carried out by vendors contracted by the city.

“This is truly a godsend,” said City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, who has advocated for the independent energy authority and its 10-year efficiency plan.

The project is a welcome development for many city residents, who have become increasingly concerned about quality-of-life issues such as broken streetlights and illegal dumping. Over the course of the pandemic, complaints about streetlights skyrocketed, particularly after the city let a light-maintenance contract lapse.

Improving street lighting is also a key tenet of the city’s plan to reduce traffic and pedestrian accidents. And the effort was applauded by city leaders who say residents — especially those in areas that have experienced record levels of gun violence over the last three years — have begged for brighter, more reliable lighting as a matter of crime deterrence.

» READ MORE: Philly is getting better streetlights, free WiFi, and more. Officials say it’s part of budgeting for racial equity.

City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents parts of West Philadelphia and has led the charge in Council to increase funding for quality-of-life improvements, said the city must “employ every tool at our disposal to restore safety.”

“Modernizing our streetlights is not a new need,” she said. “It’s been something residents, especially those in working-class Black and brown neighborhoods, have fought for for decades.”

City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who represents the city at-large, speaks during a news conference about construction efforts to replace city streetlights. At her left is City Council President Darrell L. Clarke and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents parts of West Philadelphia.Anna Orso/Inquirer / Anna Orso/Inquirer

Those residents may see streetlights on their blocks replaced sooner rather than later.

Michael Carroll, the deputy managing director for transportation, infrastructure, and sustainability, said the city’s replacement schedule prioritizes neighborhoods that have higher rates of crime at night and disproportionate amounts of traffic and pedestrian accidents. It also based its plan on the results of a yearlong audit and community engagement process.

“There’s neighborhoods that really need this more,” Carroll said. “And because we recognize they need it more, they’re going to get it first.”

That started Tuesday on the 5700 block of Haverford Avenue in West Philadelphia, where workers contracted by the city replaced a streetlight outside the Shepard Recreation Center. They were surrounded by a bevy of elected officials, top members of Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration, and media.

Less than a year ago, the same spot was a crime scene — a half-dozen gunmen sprayed more than 100 bullets just outside the rec center, wounding five people.