The Windy City will get a little more street smart this summer with the installation of 40,000 smart street lights. As part of Chicago’s Smart Lighting Program (CSLP), new LED lights will be installed on residential streets, alleys and viaducts in parts of the far South Side, Near West Side and North Side.
The current round of installations will run through August and mark the halfway point of the CSLP’s four-year LED conversion project.
“This project has been a win-win for Chicagoans as it delivers one of the largest lighting modernization programs in the country and addresses one of the top reasons residents contact 311,” says Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “As we begin this next phase, the program will reach more neighborhoods and provide more residents with reliable and energy-efficient nighttime lighting.”
The past march, Emanuel announced the smart lighting initiative that’s estimated to save about $100 million during the next 10 years. The LED lights Chicago is installing will consume 50 percent to 75 percent less electricity than the high-pressure sodium street lights being replaced. Installation of new, smart street lights has also earned Chicago $12 million rebates from ComEd so far, and the total rebate package will be about $35 million during the four-year program.
The upgrades are being coordinated through the Chicago Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Chicago Infrastructure Trust and the city’s Department of Innovation and Technology.
As part of the four-year initiative, the CSLP will replace 270,000, or 85 percent, of Chicago’s streetlights with high-quality LED fixtures. The program also includes creation of a citywide lighting management system for the new LED lights. When it becomes operational, the system will alert the city when lights need service.