After a bit of a delay, the Ann Arbor City Council has approved plans to transition another 4,000 DTE streetlights to more efficient LED technology.
The Council postponed a vote last month after several residents complained that the 58-watt LEDs were too bright for neighborhoods. They instead asked for 29 watts near their homes.
City officials met with DTE and learned it wasn’t possible to use two different lights.
Public Services Area Chief of Staff Skye Stewart says the 29-watt streetlights aren’t bright enough for pedestrian and vehicle travel.
“Their primary purpose is to illuminate streets and sidewalks in the public right-of-way. Staff believes the 29-watt fixture with the house side shielding to reduce light trespass on private property is too drastic a reduction in overall lighting for our roads and sidewalks.”
Stewart says the shielding should keep the streets and sidewalks properly lit at 58 watts, while cutting down on light pollution.
A nearly $1 million grant from SEMCOG is picking up a majority of the cost. The rest comes from the Climate Action Millage fund.
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