E.P. Getting Bit Darker at Night
East Providence is ready to begin turning off 20 percent of its streetlights to save $150,000 a year.
Photos
Pdfs
East Providence will soon be a little darker at night.
The first phase of a budget commission mandated management program that will shut off 1,125 streetlights is expected to start before the end of January. Lights at intersections, pedestrian crossings, schools and parks will not be shut off.
The goal is to save at least $150,000 a year by turning out about 20 percent of the city’s more than 5,000 street lights, said East Providence City Manager Peter Graczykowski.
The city spends approximately $750,000 a year for the streetlights owned and maintained by National Grid.
The Department of Public Works has come up with a list of lights to be turned off based primarily on areas identified as being over-illuminated. The plan does not mean every fifth light in the city will be turned off. And lights that were not operating count toward the goal.
Click here to see the list on the East Providence website. Or look at the PDF above.
Lights to be turned off will get “red caps” to identify them for National Grid. Those red-capped lights will stay off for at least a year. After a year, they will be turned off permanently or turned back on if the savings goal is reached.
The program actually calls for eventually removing 1,100 streetlights permanently. The city also is looking at other options with National Grid, including purchasing streetlights to rid the city of fixed maintenance costs charged by the utility.
East Providence would then pay only for the energy each light used and the maintenance of the fixtures, which it believes could be less expensive than paying National Grid for maintenance.
Tony
7:21 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Well, well. They are going to shut off 2 lights on Reynolds Street. Okay, last time I checked there is one in front of my house, and one at the end of the street that hasn't worked for quite some time. Other than that, where's the one they are leaving on? Oh, my mistake, that would be the ones on my garage! Because if I shut my garage lights off, the entire street is dark. Yeah, this sounds like a great idea. I'm only doing my part to keep the neighborhood safe. But, if the lights on my garage go dark, you walk the street at your own risk. Especially, in the summer when the little darlings are frequenting Hull Street playground at 2:00 a.m.
Susan
8:15 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Agreed. More cost to the taxpayer because we all know how national grid is going to take this loss in revenue. The cost will go up. It is a lose lose situation.
Susan
8:21 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Also just looked at the list. There are 3 on my street and 3 will be turned off. Seems they are going to put all the neighborhoods in darkness and leave only the main roads lit. Stupidity.
Ross
8:35 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
‘PUNISH THE TAXPAYERS’ is the mantra in this town… We pay the taxes, but does anyone care ? They shutter the Libraries, Dim the lights and seek to find other things that directly affect the quality of life in this town for the taxpayer and shut it down or eliminate it. Just look at Middle School Sports – gone, shut down; Is that good for the people here? Really.. kids don’t need structure and goals, just let them go home after school, they can sit around and play video games or watch tv because they can’t go to the library, it’s closed too ! (q) Where are the parents? (a) Working two jobs to pay the mortgage and taxes. The tax money goes into a big black hole and what do you get ?!
(q) We pay taxes for what? (a) To give to Blue Cross and what else?
Citizens of EP must know that $21 Million plus in payments to Blue Cross for healthcare contracts. - $21 Million is a whole lot of street lights folks.. if you shave 2% from this healthcare cost you have $420K savings, enough to turn on the lights and Open the Libraries 100%. But no, why push Blue Cross for $2million or change the contract with Blue Cross for 2% savings, better to punch the taxpayers in the mouth and next year pay Blue Cross more yet again and then Phase II of ‘Dim the Lights’ the sequel
pferd
8:57 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
TURN THE FEW LIGHTS LEFT OFF TO ASSIST THE CRIMINALS.
MAKE IT MORE EQUAL FOR THEM TO ROB AND RAPE.
I COULD COME INTO EP AND CLOSE MY EYES AND FIND MORE THAN MILLIONS IN WASTE.
WHEN WILL THE POPULATION TAKE BACK THE CITY.
Ms Paula G.
10:42 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
I agree with this. This going to cause crime rates to go up , it was on the news this past week . Plenty of time for criminals to start planning reading what lights will be off by the end of the month . So this will add more police calls , not proper lighting for residents or police and fire more accidents, with more death's occuring . How did they come up with this ? What was thought process ????? I have been looking to buy investment property plus sell my home " which I like " so I can move to a secure , stable city in RI or Ma . Shame on this town and all who take part in implanting such nonsense . Where do they live??? I think we should all have access to this information seeing that are letting criminals know how vulnerable the city is making us .
pferd
8:59 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
I just had a better idea. WHY NIT TURN ALL THE LIGHTS OUT IN THODE ISLAND.
IT IS DEAD ANYWAY
aks293
9:14 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
This is crazy, are we going back to the dark ages?? Thank you polititians past & present for all your financial mismanagement through the years which brings us to this mess.
Jack
9:14 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Thanks Budget Commission for leaving EP set for the future as 3rd world country
Bill Murray
10:27 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Will the last person to leave East Providence please turn off ALL the lights !
Ross
11:13 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
That was a brilliant remark!
Jo
11:38 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Great comment!
Ms Paula G.
10:51 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
The $150,000.00 will be spent on the fire and police department and most likely more ! My opinion !!!! I do not feel safe at all. I will be calling when I do not feel safe .
Tonya Borello
10:04 am on Saturday, January 26, 2013
well, lets see. City hall is lit up like a christmas tree all night long. Martin Middle School is lit up like a Christmas tree, all night long. How about those lights get turned off before we start flicking off the lights in neighborhoods where WE KNOW there is crime happening. Down by hull street park we have at least one person on house arrest for drug dealing (that's all I have to say about that). Why not hav them on cycles, or every other light off. This is going to have devestating impact. Home invasions, assaults you name it. My advice, if you THINK YOU HEARD A NOISE, Call the police. Call and call and call over and over.
Terry Boyd
11:32 am on Saturday, January 26, 2013
All the decorative lights at Larisa Park and the carousel are lit all night. They should have been turned off long before the subject even came up.
Ron C
7:25 pm on Saturday, January 26, 2013
At the BC meeting where the consultant talked about this plan they did mention that the street lights owned by National Grid would be shut off in place of the lights at Larisa. It makes since, why have both sets on. I believe it was the same for the decorative lights along Warren Ave, shut off the NG lights and leave the others on.
Jo
11:43 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Yes, as someone posted, EP is going back to the Dark Ages. We pay more and more taxes and get less and less benefits. What's wrong with this picture?
Ben D Over
7:59 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
How about firing the guy who put this list together and keep the lights on! We can pay for the lights with his $60,000 salary + the $20,000 health care and we won't even count his pension and overtime! This city manager needs to spend a day driving around town checking on his employees and I am certain he could save thousands. He could start at a Dunkin Donuts or the city garage, isn't that where the time card machine was broken several times......