Harwood Heights officials are hoping the installation of hundreds of new LED streetlights scheduled to be replaced this spring and summer across the community will help illuminate the streets better while saving the village money on energy costs.
Trustees unanimously approved an agreement with ComEd earlier this month to retrofit the existing streetlights with energy-efficient bulbs at no cost to the village. In another motion approved by the Village Board earlier this month, the village plans to spend $2,900 to replace faded street signs throughout the village.
The signs will be replaced on all residential streets by 2017, according to Mayor Arlene Jezierny. It was unclear which areas of the village would be first to get the new signs. Public works director George Assimakopoulos did not respond to multiple messages seeking his input during the past several weeks.
Some of the street signs have become so faded, according to a remark Lawrence Steiner made at a village board meeting recently, that police have had difficulty enforcing some traffic regulations.
Acting police chief Frank Biagi said police haven’t dealt with any major issues related to the aging signs, but that the police department notifies public works crews when a sign becomes too faded in an effort to be fair to the public.
“Signs have always been replaced on a continuous basis,” Biagi said in an email. “But signs really never get to the point where they are completely illegible.”
The LED lights set to be replaced this year are anticipated to save the village approximately $1,000 per month on energy costs, according to Jezierny.
ComEd will conduct the retrofits for each streetlight, which are generally found on wooden poles within neighborhoods and near intersections.
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All streetlights within Harwood Heights are non-metered, so the village pays a flat fee, according to Trustee Michael Gadzinski.
“[LED lights] will lower the usage for the village due to LED bulbs burning much cooler and much brighter,” Gadzinski said. “This will be great for all the streets where we have many trees.”
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.