Falmouth selectmen voted on June 17 on whether to participate in the Cape Light Compact's LED Street Light Conversion Project, converting existing 2,900 street lights in Falmouth into LED street lights.
Before the vote, CLC Program Manager Kevin Galligan said that Falmouth has more street lights than any other community in the Cape and Islands. In February, there were eight LED street lights installed in some place of Falmouth as a demonstration project, which were well received. If LED street lights are successfully installed throughout the town, we can save more than $100,000 per annum, or save maintenance fees and energy by 50%. LED lighting is expected to last for 10 to 15 years, so those savings will last for a very long time.
Galligan said the CLC would put all the lights together in a bid package that would go out in July. Contractors will be in charge of design and installation of the LED street lights, and a separate part would deal with maintenance. Contract negotiations and lighting fixture selection will be done in this fall. The LED Street Light Conversion Project will be started in January 2014 and finished by the end of 2014.
Selectmen Kevin Murphy suggested that provide brighter lighting on intersections, major roadways, crosswalks and lighter shades for side streets and residential areas, because some citizens have said that nighttime lighting can affect sleeping patterns and wildlife. Murphy then proposed that the colors and locations of streetlights to be determined by the town's engineering department. Selectmen collectively agreed to Murphy's propose, 4 to 0, with Selectman Doug Jones absent.
