Riverside to Shine Brighter

Riverside will replace its street lights with energy-efficient Light Emitting Diode [LED] during the next three years.

The plan, which the city council approved Sept. 6 with a 7-0 vote, will leave Riverside with brighter, longer-lasting street lights that will improve visibility and safety, according to a statement.

The new lights will have a 20-year lifespan, compared with seven years provided by the current high-pressure sodium lights. Riverside Public Utilities developed the plan, which is expected to save the city $922,000 a year in energy costs as well as $360,000 in maintenance costs.

“This type of innovative program is exactly why Riverside is so fortunate to have its own public utility,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said in the statement. “[Riverside Public Utilities] continues to make Riverside more ‘green’ and energy efficient.”

The utility plans to upgrade more than 30,000 street lights. The project will be done in five phases and will cost about $15 million, according to the statement.