Residents illuminate street light concerns: South San Francisco officials to highlight possible solutions

JoAnn D’Angelo said she believes South San Francisco’s neighborhoods and downtown are insufficiently lit once the sun goes down, enhancing the chance for a resident to trip or fall victim to a crime.

“Have you ever gone on Grand Avenue at night? It’s scary. It’s pitch black. If you want people to go out to dinner down there, you better turn on some lights. This has done nothing but make people upset,” she said.

The issue first became a topic of discussion during town hall meetings last year in the wake of a slew of home burglaries which rocked the Buri Buri neighborhood, when many residents expressed a desire to see street lighting improved.

In an attempt to address the concerns, officials initiated a pilot program showcasing a variety of street light configurations that could be installed to replace the existing bulbs which some residents feel are inadequate.

Community input from the pilot program is slated to be presented during the upcoming meeting, and though no final decision is set to be made, Vice Mayor Pradeep Gupta said officials are committed to identifying a resolution.

“I think this is very important,” he said. “Our population is increasing in age. We want people to utilize their neighborhood. We want people to go out in the evening. I think it is necessary that we in the city take into account the issues, help out and respond in a timely fashion and a substantive way.”

New, energy-efficient light bulbs were recently installed throughout South San Francisco, and though the bulbs are designed to save money and reduce the city’s environmental footprint, some residents have said the modern technology does not distribute light as well as the previous bulbs.

D’Angelo said one solution could be bringing back the old bulbs, which Gupta said could be feasible in some areas where many residents are dissatisfied.

“In particular cases where people might feel the old pattern of lighting is better, we can replace the lights with some less efficient but more widespread bulbs,” he said.

D’Angelo also suggested officials consider installing more lamp posts to cut down the dark zones that occur between lights, as new LED bulbs are designed to focus light in a more concentrated fashion than the previous bulbs.

Gupta said he said he was open to considering such a proposal as well, but noted the solution is much more difficult to implement, as it requires collaboration with Pacific Gas and Electric, the agency that manages the city’s electrical utility infrastructure.

“It is a huge expense putting in a new pole,” he said. “It is an option that we can look at, but this would be a subject of a lot more discussion.”

The city saves $190,100 annually in energy costs since the installation of the new energy efficient bulbs, as well as cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions, according to a city report.

Replacing the current lights with different bulbs could cost as much as $1.2 million throughout the city, according to the report, as each fixture costs about $350 to address.

Residents can contribute to a solution of improving street lighting as well by turning on porch lights, which will help illuminate a neighborhood, according to the report.

For her part, D’Angelo said she has implemented some of the home lighting suggestions, but feels the issue persists.

“They expect the homeowners to take their money and light up their whole house,” she said. “I’ve done all that, it and still doesn’t solve the problem.”

D’Angelo said she understands the benefits proposed by officials in defense of the energy efficient bulbs, but feels the safety of residents should be the greatest concern.

“There is something they can do about this,” she said. “I’m not against saving money [or] ecology, but I am concerned about safety.”

The South San Francisco City Council meets 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, in the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105