Detroit becomes largest city in America completely lit with LED streetlights

**MSUguy** · December-19-16, 10:39 PM

"After three years of work, the gargantuan effort to install 65,000 LED streetlights across the city was completed Thursday when the final stretch of lights to be replaced were turned on near the intersection of Riopelle and Atwater streets, just outside of downtown.

Knocking out the prior, often-out-of-service system that plagued Detroit's streets for a generation was the handiwork of the Public Lighting Authority, which was created in 2013 to design and implement the new lighting network.

The authority, with the backing of Mayor Mike Duggan, saw to the completion of the project one year ahead of its original schedule, also managing to fly in under the allotted budget.

Gathered near the final section of streetlights to be lit, lighting authority officials, Duggan and a White House official spoke Thursday evening about the effort to re-light the streets of Detroit, celebrating the achievement that started with the city's darkest ZIP codes on the far east and far west sides in February 2014.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...art_river_home"

I know some people don't like them because they lack "warmth", but I think the LED's are big upgrade.

**canuck** · December-19-16, 10:46 PM

That piece of news is a great banner for the turnaround that called for innovation and energy savings in one fell swoop.

**ABetterDetroit** · December-19-16, 10:56 PM

A successful completion of a answer to a big problem. Compliments to the mayor are in order.

I am curious to what Duggan is going to take on next that is a big problem because there are still a few more to choose from.

**313WX** · December-19-16, 11:26 PM

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/12/15/detroit-streetlights-go-tragedy-bragging-point/95483846/

Lighting Authority Chairwoman Dr. Lorna Thomas said the feedback from residents about the new lights has mostly been positive. However, there have been complaints that there may now be fewer lights per block on some streets and that the new lights don't always illuminate sidewalks as well as the old ones.

But resident Donald Hudson, 65, said his block of Auburn Street in Rosedale Park was brighter lit and safer under the old city streetlights, even though they hadn't worked for five years.

Last year lighting crews replaced three old streetlights on the block with two of the new LEDs. The problem is that both corners of the block now "are in total darkness," whereas before they were decently lit, he said. And this past September, a neighbor was carjacked on a part of the block that is currently dark.

**GMan** · December-20-16, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/12/15/detroit-streetlights-go-tragedy-bragging-point/95483846/

Lighting Authority Chairwoman Dr. Lorna Thomas said the feedback from residents about the new lights has mostly been positive. However, there have been complaints that there may now be fewer lights per block on some streets and that the new lights don't always illuminate sidewalks as well as the old ones.

But resident Donald Hudson, 65, said his block of Auburn Street in Rosedale Park was brighter lit and safer under the old city streetlights, even though they hadn't worked for five years.

Last year lighting crews replaced three old streetlights on the block with two of the new LEDs. The problem is that both corners of the block now "are in total darkness," whereas before they were decently lit, he said. And this past September, a neighbor was carjacked on a part of the block that is currently dark.

Personally I liked the light from the old Incandescent style lights. The light was warm and white vs. the sodium or mercury lamps as well as being an energy hog!
The LED's are colder and have harsh cut off areas. That said, the LED lamps on I 96 don't bother me and seem to disperse across the whole road way.

**Hypestyles** · December-20-16, 02:23 PM

the maintenance must be vigilant. care must be made that whole neighborhoods aren't in darkness after dusk. I hope that the staffing is stabilized-- the ex-executive there walked out abruptly with a big payout.

**takascar** · December-21-16, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

the maintenance must be vigilant. care must be made that whole neighborhoods aren't in darkness after dusk. I hope that the staffing is stabilized-- the ex-executive there walked out abruptly with a big payout.

The LED thing is good. This will save alot of $ for electricity and they are more energy efficient, but I have a few questions:

1. LED fixtures and bulbs have had some reliability issues, including increased corrosion. Have they dealt with that issue??

2. New fixtures are fine, but the biggest problem with Detroit street lighting is the abysmal condition of the distribution network [[lines that supply the lights, transformers, substations). I don't think that the light fixtures themselves were to blame in the outages in most areas. In the last years that I lived in Detroit [[1992/93), a 5 square block area around my house was out for months - that wasn't the fixtures.

Is there any info on upgrades to the distribution network?

**paulj313** · December-22-16, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by takascar

The LED thing is good. This will save alot of $ for electricity and they are more energy efficient, but I have a few questions:

1. LED fixtures and bulbs have had some reliability issues, including increased corrosion. Have they dealt with that issue??

2. New fixtures are fine, but the biggest problem with Detroit street lighting is the abysmal condition of the distribution network [[lines that supply the lights, transformers, substations). I don't think that the light fixtures themselves were to blame in the outages in most areas. In the last years that I lived in Detroit [[1992/93), a 5 square block area around my house was out for months - that wasn't the fixtures.

Is there any info on upgrades to the distribution network?

I believe the new lights were put on the DTE grid.

**catch22** · December-22-16, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by paulj313

I believe the new lights were put on the DTE grid.

They were. I have a friend who did a lot of the design work for the new lights, and that was the plan from the start.

**Scottathew** · December-22-16, 02:04 PM

It's great to see Detroit execute on a large project like this.

**Wesley Mouch** · December-22-16, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by takascar

...snip...
Is there any info on upgrades to the distribution network?

It makes sense to me to leave the distribution network upgrades until you've upgraded the lights to LEDs.

LED use less power than the vapor lamps. So the load on the network should have been cut -- perhaps in half. So now any upgrades no longer have to provide, say, 200 watts per pole, when the new LED fixtures us 100 watts per pole.

PLD should be able to not only downsize the distribution -- but also reduce their generation capacity.

[[And I won't even mention that they'd be wise to let DTE handle the distribution -- since many here probably still see City employment as a public good.)

**DeLemur** · December-23-16, 04:45 PM

This is great and happy to see it through. I will say the lights prioritize automobiles too much on some streets and the way people drive in Detroit without any enforcement means more dangerous speeding at night.

What happened to the old lightening director, I believe his name was Odell? He was featured on the Citibank advertisements but there was some tiny scandal about his departure.

**archfan** · December-24-16, 02:03 AM

Originally Posted by DeLemur

What happened to the old lightening director, I believe his name was Odell? He was featured on the Citibank advertisements but there was some tiny scandal about his departure.

Odis Jones. His resignation is discussed at the end of this article: http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...nish/95349728/