One of the oldest parks in the country is taking on some of the latest lighting technology. The City of Boston announced today that it is joining the Cree LED City ® program after recently installing LED streetlights along the “Mayor’s Walk” on Boston Common.
The demonstration project on Boston Common is the city’s way of trying out LED lighting as part of its overall efforts to “green” Boston.
The Common is one of the oldest parks in America, once serving as a British camp before the Revolutionary War. Back then, gas lighting had not even been invented. In fact, gas lighting didn’t spread to the United States until the early 1800s. It’s pretty cool to think that 200 years later, the park has turned into Boston’s testing ground for LED streetlights.
Boston Common in the fall. Photo by flickr user BostonPhotoSphere.
The LED City program is one way Cree helps cities give LED lighting a try, with the goal of speeding up adoption of this energy-efficient technology. Officials in cities that have never tried LED lighting often have a lot of questions about the technology.
At Cree, we help answer those questions and encourage cities to test LED lighting so they can see the results. It’s one thing to talk about how energy-efficient and beautiful LED lighting is. It’s another thing to actually see the savings and have the bright, even light shine on you.
Enter Boston. City officials decided to give LED lighting a try by installing LED streetlights made by six different manufacturers. Signs are posted along the path explaining how residents can submit comments about the lighting. Thumbs up that you can even tweet them your comments (@BostonLED).
LED streetlights consume 50 percent or less energy compared to traditional streetlights, and LED streetlights are designed to last up to five times longer. And since LED streetlights don’t have ‘bulb’s that require changing, the fixtures require little maintenance.
If you’d like your city to join the program, read up on these steps they need to take. Then contact your city council representative and start asking questions. It’s just another way you can join the LED Lighting Revolution.
