Bright Idea

The San Diego City Council on Tuesday, November 17, unanimously adopted a resolution to authorize the Redevelopment Agency through the Centre City Development Corporation to administer and manage the construction of Interstate 5 streetlight Improvements in Cortez Hill and East Village.

The project involves the installation of 25 streetlights on the sidewalks and walkways of bridges over the Interstate 5. The lights will be installed on seven downtown bridges, including four in Cortez Hill on First, Second, Third, and Sixth Avenues; and three in the East Village on J, Island, and Market Streets.

Centre City Development Corporation project manager William Yee indicated that the new streetlights could utilize a new broad-spectrum lighting technology known as induction lighting. According to Yee’s report, the lighting uses much less energy — 85 instead of 150 watts — and requires less maintenance.

“We found we can — at a higher installation cost...provide a savings of approximately $1700 per year for annual maintenance costs,” said Yee.

“It's something our community has been asking for for the eight years that I have lived there,” said Rita Collier at the city council meeting, speaking on behalf of a Cortez neighborhood group. ”It will greatly improve the safety of walking across that bridge.”