MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded economic stimulus grants to help five cities improve traffic lighting in order to cut electric bills and eliminate unnecessary fuel consumption.
The grants will enable two cities to improve traffic flow by synchronizing traffic signals, while others will replace traffic lights and road lighting with equipment that is more energy-efficient.
“These upgrades will reduce operating costs, benefit motorists and decrease pollution,” said Riley. “Installing devices based on newer technology also will also reduce maintenance costs for these communities.”
A $50,000 grant to Phenix City will enable the city to synchronize traffic signals at 20 intersections. The project is intended to reduce commute times, ease traffic congestion, reduce emissions and increase gas mileage for motorists by as much as 10 percent, according to city officials.
The city of Brundidge is receiving a $79,364 grant to replace roadway light fixtures with energy-efficient, light-emitting diode technology, better known as LED. LED lights use less energy than traditional incandescent lights and last longer because they do not have a filament that can burn out or break.
A $62,000 grant to the city of Fairhope will enable the city to purchase and install new LED traffic signals and caution lights. The upgrades will be installed at 33 intersections, reducing both energy and maintenance costs.
The city of Hueytown is receiving $91,000 to replace current traffic signals along a section of Allison-Bonnett Memorial Drive with LED signals. The city also will synchronize the signals to streamline traffic flow and prepare for increased traffic once the new Hueytown High School opens.
With the help of a $20,455 grant, the city of Eufaula will upgrade pedestrian light fixtures in the downtown area and install new traffic signals along Highway 431. Pedestrian lights will be replaced with induction lighting technology, which is more energy-efficient and expected to last longer than even fluorescent lights. Traffic signals along Highway 431 will be upgraded with high-efficiency LED lenses. City officials expect these upgrades to produce energy savings of more than $15,000 annually.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Riley notified mayors “Sonny” Coulter of Phenix City, James Ramage of Brundidge, Timothy Kant of Fairhope, Delor Baumann of Hueytown and Jay Jaxon of Eufaula that the grants had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Larry Childers