Update on LED Streetlight Test

Ron Schulhof, who heads the LED Streetlight Committee for Scarsdale Village sent in the following update on a pilot program to test the use of LED lights on Village streets in Scarsdale. The pilot is now underway, but since one of the manufacturers is planning to release a new and improved version of the fixtures that address some of the concerns residents have raised, the committee has decided to extend the pilot program until these new lights are available to test at the beginning of next year.

Here is the report:

The Committee on LED Streetlights has been piloting LED streetlights at seven locations on high traffic roads and town and country locations since July 12, 2016. The initial timeframe for the pilot was planned at three months, to conclude on October 12, 2016. One of the manufacturers of the pilot LED Streetlights recently informed the Committee that a new version of their fixture will be released in early 2017 with material improvements to the lighting. The new version will also address a potential defect in the housing that could cause damage to the fixture upon installation. These upgrades are expected to address some of the concerns expressed by residents and Committee members in regards to the current Pilot fixtures.

The pilot lights impacted are those on Mamaroneck Road (Garden Road to Sheldrake Road) and White Plains (Post) Road (Crane Road to Wayside Lane). These lights will be removed and replaced with the non-LED streetlights that were previously installed at these locations. The other pilot light (from other manufacturers) will remain installed.

In light of these developments, the Committee recommends the extension of the pilot program to allow for testing of these new fixtures that are expected to be available in early 2017.

New fixture update:

Based on discussions with the manufacturer, we are expecting a number of material improvements to the fixture in the upcoming version:

-Improved optics (the lens that sits over the LEDs and directs the light) that will improve the distribution of the light on the road
-Improved LEDs that will produce the a more uniform light color
-Increased energy efficiency
-Additional color options including a softer color
-Updated installation bracket to address potential damage to the fixture during installation

While the extent of each of the improvements will not be known until the new version is released and the Committee realizes that there will always be technological improvements, the Committee feels these potential improvements are worth extending the pilot period to include this new fixture.

What we'll be doing while we wait:

Over the next few months the Committee will continue working with the industry to find appropriate fixtures for our various types of fixtures and streets. We will also continue our research and discussions of LED Streetlight upgrades with other municipalities (both locally and nationally).

For questions regarding the LED Streetlight Project our Committee email us at [email protected]. We welcome questions and feedback from the community.