Bing unveils 4-phase plan to fix Detroit's lighting system

[begingri]

Phase One: Stable neighborhoods, such as Sherwood Forrest, Green Acres, east and west Outer Drive and Grand Boulevard would see lighting improvements. The city would convert about 1,525 antiquated lights and remove the nearly 14,000 nonfunctioning alley fixtures that dot the city. This would occur between November and April 2013.

Phase Two: The city would focus on converting 10,000 obsolete series light fixtures to modern LED lights on major thoroughfares, such as Gratiot, Grand River, Woodward, Livernois, Downtown, Midtown, and Michigan and Jefferson avenues. The city also would remove outdated fixtures from certain neighborhoods. This would occur from April 2013 to April 2014.

Phase Three: The city would continue to convert lights, including 10,000 in selected neighborhoods and what the officials describe as semi major thoroughfares such as Junction and Pembroke. Antiquated light fixtures would continue to be removed from neighborhoods. This would occur from April 2014 to April 2015.

Phase 4: In the final phase, the city would complete the removal of obsolete lighting fixtures and the authority would assess the population in distressed areas of the city to determine lighting needs. This would occur from April 2015 to April 2016.

Full story at: http://www.freep.com/article/2012081...sey=nav%7Chead

[Hypestyles]

so, the plan goes well beyond the 2013 election, and can be ditched abruptly if/when someone else is elected..

this really should have been announced first thing in january 2010..

[trotwood]

And the smoke&mirror show continues from the Bing administrastion.

[Farnsworthfarms]

Is public lighting just an election cycle issue? OR do people really want this to happen in the city?? Or is the Public Lighting department jacked up???

[Bobl]

My, how things have changed. A friend who worked for Public Lighting, or whatever they called it, once told me if a street light was out, 48 hours after it was reported, someone got in a lot of trouble.

[Scottathew]

Phase 1: Close the lighting department and give DTE responsibility over the lights like it is in just about every other community that has no issues with lights.

[coracle]

It' a good Plan if it's ever started/completed. Where will the money come from? While it's a good plan it seems to be the wrong way round. Should do the difficult/expensive parts first so that it gets easier with time not more difficult. My guess is it will be started and never finished.

[DetroitPlanner]

It' a good Plan if it's ever started/completed. Where will the money come from? While it's a good plan it seems to be the wrong way round. Should do the difficult/expensive parts first so that it gets easier with time not more difficult. My guess is it will be started and never finished.

Through bonds and a new authority that must be approved by the State. It faces an uphill battle because tax revenues are in decline. I assume this is why it is phased to start in the most populated areas first.

[Wesley Mouch]

The plan only seems to address the obvious need to get lights back on. It does not appear to address any structural issues that created the current situation. Having dealt personally with the department on both operational and bureaucratic levels, reform must include administrative and operational changes.

We all want all the lights to work. And we all want a more efficient system using LEDs.

To get there, we need some leadership that acknowledges the problems with the current department, and a plan to fix them.

[Richard]

Phase 1: Close the lighting department and give DTE responsibility over the lights like it is in just about every other community that has no issues with lights.

I agree , but the city wants a tool to raise bond money,they can always raise more by increasing the rates. I pay $2.50 a month per light and $5 for commercial ,if you darken the alley the patrols have a much harder with a quick glance.

If you had the option would you pay $2.50 a month for that security?