In an effort to deter thieves who steal valuable copper wire from city streetlights and vandals who damage streetlights — and in a nod to renewable energy — Los Angeles has launched a solar streetlight pilot project in Van Nuys.
Copper wire thieves and vandals are leaving streetlights inoperable across L.A. — a roughly tenfold increase in just five or six years, according to Miguel Sangalang, executive director and general manager of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting.
That, along with a shortage of electricians working for the city, has created a backlog of requests for streetlight repairs. Getting a city crew to repair a streetlight once took a few days or a week, but now it take months — and in some cases up to a year, Sangalang said.
That raises concerns about public safety on darkened streets — not to mention the millions of dollars it costs taxpayers to repair the lights.
To address growing concerns, Mayor Karen Bass and L.A. City Councilmember Imelda Padilla unveiled the Los Angeles Solar Lighting Pilot Program at a news conference outside Children’s Community School in Van Nuys on Thursday, Feb. 29.
The city recently installed 104 solar lights near the school – the first neighborhood selected for the pilot program because of its high concentration of darkened street lights thanks to copper thieves and vandals, city officials said.
“We will continue to deliver solutions that improve city services, that make neighborhoods safer, more welcoming and cleaner while building a greener future that embraces renewable energy sources,” Bass said, adding that it’s difficult to feel safe when streets are dark.
Padilla said streetlights are crucial to improving a community’s sense of safety.
Having working streetlights “will enable us to feel more comfortable when we step out for evening walks with our families, kids or pets … after dark or simply coming home late from work,” Padilla said.
Sangalang said the city is…
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