LED Streetlight Conversion Update

All streetlights in the City of Kingston are being converted to LED technology in the spring of 2019 through the NY Smart Street Lighting Initiative, a statewide program, working with the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

In the meantime as bulbs burn out, they are being replaced with the new LED technology by a contractor in bundles of forty at minimum. The next batch of over 70 bulbs has been commissioned and will be addressed in the next few weeks, weather permitting. To report an extinguished street light, please visit www.kingston-ny.gov/servicerequest

While the City of Kingston began the process of evaluating our street lighting back in 2014, in early 2018, Governor Cuomo announced the NY Smart Street Lighting Initiative that calls for at least 500,000 street lights throughout the state to be replaced with the energy-saving LED technology by 2025. Kingston joins a larger aggregate of communities but will be first in line for the retrofit.

This improvement is projected to reduce annual municipal energy use by 1,000,000 kWh, and save the City over $130,000 per year on utility bills and maintenance costs. Upgrading to LEDs will also improve light quality and public safety throughout Kingston. The new LED fixtures will have a warm white light which allows for an increased ability to perceive colors, definition, and movement of other drivers, pedestrians, and objects. Studies show that this warm white light improves a driver’s peripheral vision and reaction time when compared to High Pressure Sodium lights.

The City will provide updates on locations of installed lights on our website as progress is made. 

Relevant Links:

Project details and updated map (as installations begin) https://kingston-ny.gov/streetlights

FAQ https://kingston-ny.gov/filestorage/8399/22301/LED_Streetlights_Information_Sheet.pdf