There are still some concerns from residents and village officials, but Chicago Ridge is beginning to look on the bright side.
A contractor has completed more than half of the first phase of the village’s streetlight replacement project, outfitting about 200 lights with LED bulbs that will use about 35 percent less energy than the old bulbs, according to Andrew Pufundt, project manager Christopher B. Burke Engineering, the village engineers.
Pufundt said the contractor, Utility Dynamics, has replaced all the lights on the village’s north-south streets and some of the east-west streets in an area bordered by 103rd and 111th streets and Ridgeland and Central avenues. He said they are waiting on the delivery of a second shipment of LED bulbs to complete the first phase, likely next month.
The current phase accounts for about half of the village’s approximately 800 streetlights. Pufundt told village trustees that he did not know when Phase II would begin.
The village board on Tuesday night approved payment of $127,620 to Utility Dynamics for its work so far on the project. Chicago Ridge gave the company a $228,260 contract for the first phase, but Pufundt said about $131,000 of that will be reimbursed through a state grant.
Some trustees on Tuesday questioned the new streetlights. Trustee Sally Durkin said they illuminate a smaller area than the old lights.
Pufundt agreed that an LED streetlight is concentrated to a smaller area but said it meets regulations and there’s no way to enlarge the lighted area without increasing the amount of energy going into the light, which would reduce the energy savings from LED lighting.
“Most municipalities proceed under the premise that it’s their responsibility to light from sidewalk-to-sidewalk,” Pufundt said, referring to from one side of a street to another. “For every resident that enjoys light being spread up to their house for safety reasons, there (may be others who don’t like) light shining into someone’s bedroom.”
Mayor Charles Tokar said he had spoken to several residents and it was his “perception that the majority of people like the lights.” Among those who had concerns, he said, some said the new lights were too bright, while others thought they were too dim.
David Lipowski is a freelance reporter.
