Lighting upgrades save energy and provide security in Downtown Spokane
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Things are looking brighter in downtown Spokane.
In early April, installers from the City of Spokane began replacing outdated, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights with energy-efficient, Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures in under-lit railroad underpasses between Stevens and Walnut.
In addition to energy efficiency, the new fixtures will emit a cool, clearer, truer white light, increasing visibility and providing safe and secure passage underneath the railroad viaduct between north and south downtown.
As businesses south of the viaduct benefit from increased property development, the Downtown Spokane Partnership has engaged partners in supporting growth efforts by focusing on initiatives that can improve the look and feel of downtown. Safety and security in underpasses has been a concern for several years but has increased in attention recently due to industry-growth by breweries, tasting rooms and restaurants just south of the railroad in west downtown. Lighting and beautification projects result in a safer, more secure, experience for customers and workers transiting back and forth through the underpasses.
The new lights are part of a strategy of the Downtown Spokane Partnership (DSP) to employ environmental design as a means of safety. In 2015 and 2016, DSP and properties in the core partnered to power, trim and light street trees with cool white lights which illuminate sidewalks. The south side of the Davenport Grand Hotel and the north side of the Fox Theater are also lit with color changing flood lights in addition to 8 rotating spotlights that cast images onto downtown buildings. “Safety doesn’t have to be ugly,” says DSP Policy and Parking Manager, Andrew Rolwes. “Simply creating a more enjoyable space to be in can get more people moving through underutilized areas.”
The cost to replace the lights was just over $15,000 with contributions from BNSF Railway and the Downtown Spokane Business Improvement District. The energy upgrade resulted in a $7,800 rebate from Avista Utilities which reflects the energy savings the new system provides. Replaced fixtures include 100-watt HPS with 26-watt LEDs and 70-watt HPS with 18-watt LEDs, providing significant energy savings over the course of a year. Thanks to help from the City of Spokane Streets Department Signals and Lighting Section, the installation should be complete within the next several months.
About Downtown Spokane
The DSP is a private, non-profit membership organization that serves as Spokane's central city advocate and service provider, dedicated to enhancing the quality and vitality of Downtown Spokane as the basis for a healthy region. The DSP accomplishes its mission through advocating for public policies, business and project development, quality planning, physical improvement projects, public safety, beautification, and marketing programs that ensure downtown's continued success. To learn more, visit www.downtownspokane.org.
