Toledo’s department of public service hopes to make a decision next week on how bright the LED streetlights soon to be installed citywide should be, but some councilmen are concerned that more research needs to be done.
City council last week approved an agreement with Toledo Edison to replace all 28,000 streetlights in the city with LED fixtures by the end of 2021. The project will cost the city about $5.8 million, no matter how bright the bulbs, and officials estimate it will translate to about $580,000 in annual energy savings.
The city is now debating between installing fixtures that have a brightness of 4,000 Kelvin or 3,000 Kelvin. The higher the number, the brighter and whiter the light is, officials said.
A 2017 pilot program that replaced 200 old high-pressure sodium lamps with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, in the Old South End used 4,000 Kelvin lights. Megan Robson, with the city’s public service department, said so far there have been no complaints from residents about the brightness of the new lighting. City records also show major crimes went down the year after the new lights were installed.
The city last year replaced all the old lights along Hill Avenue from Byrne Road to the city’s western limits with 4,000 Kelvin LEDs, and they plan to add 34 additional lamps to existing poles along Hill Avenue that don’t already have fixtures.
At-large Councilman Cecelia Adams raised concerns on at a council agenda review meeting Tuesday about whether a light that is too bright could have adverse health effects, such as disrupting residents’ sleep patterns. She also wondered about the impact it could have on birds and other wildlife.
Ms. Robson said Toledo Edison installed one 4,000 Kelvin light and one 3,000 Kelvin light near the intersection of Hawley Street and Indiana Avenue to allow people to observe the difference for themselves.
“There is a difference. The 3,000 Kelvin light is a softer light. It’s not as crisp. It’s a little more yellow-looking,” she said. “However, it is still an LED light, so it does still offer a greater, brighter lighting pattern than what we currently have with high-pressure sodium.”
Ms. Robson added that the public service department is doing more than just looking at the two light figures to determine which brightness is best for Toledo. Officials are reviewing studies and talking to other communities such as Maumee, which just converted all of its streetlights to 4,000 Kelvin LEDs.
Councilman Sam Melden, who represents District 5, said he isn’t comfortable with the city making the decision on brightness simply by what looks most attractive. He said he would like to see some data about the potential health implications, if any, of going with a brighter light.
He also worried about deciding to go with one brightness only to realize years later that the other choice was more appropriate. It’s a costly position that some cities across the country have found themselves in.
“I’d rather be slow than wrong,” Mr. Melden said.
The department of public service does not need city council approval to decide on which brightness they prefer, but Mr. Melden urged the administration and council to reach a consensus before moving forward.
“We want to make the best decision for the city,” Ms. Robson said.
First Published February 19, 2020, 3:00 p.m.
