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Stronger bulbs will light city's nights
By DAVID KARP, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA -- Tampa will get brighter at night over the next four years. Mayor Dick Greco on Wednesday announced plans to replace about 1,300 streetlights citywide with stronger light bulbs. The city will replace the 50 watt bulbs currently in streetlights with 100 or 150 watt bulbs. "It does make a tremendous difference," Greco said. The new light bulbs will be brighter and spread light farther onto sidewalks. The bulbs will angle the light farther back to sidewalks while reducing wasted light that escapes into the sky. That means the new lights should help people walking their dogs at night without bothering stargazers. The stronger lights should cost taxpayers about $390,000 more in electricity bills each year. The higher bill, already anticipated in the city budget, will increase the street lighting budget to about $1.3-million annually. Tampa Electric Company will install the new bulbs for free. The entire conversion will take four years. The brighter lights are worth the price, Greco said. "I think this is a step in the right direction for neighborhoods," he said. Lighted streets make neighborhoods safer, he said. The city will begin replacing street lights in West Tampa first. That's because City Council member Mary Alvarez began a project to replace old street lights there. The mayor included Alvarez, who is up for re-election in March, at a press conference Wednesday to announce the change. "We are going to light up Tampa," Alvarez said. After replacing lights in West Tampa, the police department will decide the order that neighborhoods get new bulbs. Police officials will base decisions on factors such as crime, the quality of street lights and interest from residents. "I don't think I should be choosing," Greco said. -- Times Staff Writer David Karp can be reached at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com.
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