In the coming months, Brentwood citizens will see a nearly $3.5 million lighting upgrade across the city. 

The Brentwood Board of Commissioners recently approved an agreement with PATH Company to upgrade nearly 4,000 streetlights with new LED lighting. City staff say the change will mean reduced electric and infrastructure costs over a period of time.  Led Street Light

The LED fixtures and bulbs have a life expectancy of 20 years.

The installation will take up to four months and is expected to be finished in late spring. 

New fixtures will be installed except in neighborhoods with decorative street lights. The aesthetics of those poles will not change, but new LED bulbs will be installed. 

The project was approved by the commissioners at the board’s Nov. 14 meeting. 

“This project will ultimately pay for itself through reduced electric use and energy costs. Beyond the financial benefits, the newer technology will provide a safer and more consistently lit street to drive, walk, and cycle through Brentwood for many years to come,” said City Manager Kirk Bednar. 

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A feasibility study last year showed that a retrofit project to replace the current high pressure sodium bulbs and fixtures with LED would provide a significant savings, according to city staff. Brentwood leaders also approved of the aesthetic improvements, consistent and enhanced lighting, improved public safety and reduced outages expected with LED lights. 

It is projected that this initiative will result in an annual energy reduction of 1,911,951 kilowatt hours of electricity, according to officials. Bednar, meanwhile, said residents will immediately notice the difference between the old lights and LED. 

“There will be improved and consistent lighting on streets, without the ‘dead zones’ that Brentwood is used to today,” he said. 

The construction cost of the retrofit project is nearly $3 million. In addition, the city will make one-time payments to the two electric service providers to buyout the undepreciated value of the existing streetlight infrastructure.

“The Board of Commissioners and staff ultimately decided upon using current year revenues to make the one-time payments to the electric companies and borrowing the $3 million for construction costs,” Bednar said. “We project that the annual electric savings will exceed the annual debt service payment for the project.”

PATH will have a real-time project progress map online to allow residents to see where the work is being completed. 

Front Lawn Light Post A link to this map will be added to the City of Brentwood’s website, under the Public Works Department once the project begins.