The University of Virginia will install a light-emitting diode pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of University Avenue and Culbreth Road. According to the Daily Progress, the LED crosswalk will be similar to one installed previously on Emmett Street near Alumni Hall.
This blurb of a story strikes me as highly significant. It opens up a whole line of questions. Why aren’t more Virginia municipalities installing more LED lighting?
In crosswalks LED lights decrease the risk of pedestrian accidents. In all public lighting applications, LED technology is highly energy efficient.
To quote Wikipedia: “LEDs are currently more expensive, price per lumen, on an initial capital cost basis, than more conventional lighting technologies. The additional expense partially stems from the relatively low lumen output and the drive circuitry and power supplies needed. However, when considering the total cost of ownership (including energy and maintenance costs), LEDs far surpass incandescent or halogen sources and begin to threaten compact fluorescent lamps.” (My italics.)
According to Treehugger.com, the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is installing more than 1,000 LED streetlights beginning next month. The city anticipates a 3.8-year payback on its initial investment. The LED lights typically burn five times longer than the bulbs they replace and require less than half the energy.
LEDs can be used not only in crosswalks but traffic signals, road signs and, most importantly from a public policy perspective, street lights. Virginia municipalities need to explore this money-saving, greenhouse gas-reducing option more aggressively.
(Image cutline: Treehugger.com.)
