Tax Increment Finance Authority Assistant Administrator Tom Rosco (left) and Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko examine a sample LED street light that is similar to the ones recently installed by DTE along Beech Daly Road. The new lights replaced older model LED lights. Funded by TIFA, they are brighter and operate more efficiently than the original lights. New LED lights are also planned for installation in other areas of the city, particularly along Ford and Telegraph Roads.
Additional new street lights planned for other areas of city
HEIGHTS – Things have gotten a little brighter lately for drivers, residents and businesses along the Beech Daly Corridor in south Dearborn Heights.
Over the past several weeks, crews from DTE Energy have replaced the existing LED street lights along Beech Daly Road between Annapolis Street and Van Born Road with new, higher-tech LED lights.
The new lights are both significantly brighter and cast a larger area of light – while reducing the energy consumption of the old lights by nearly 50 percent. The project was funded through the city’s Tax Increment Finance Authority.
“We are delighted with the outcome of this project,” Mayor Dan Paletko said. “The increased level of light in this area will be a real boost for both motorists’ and residents’ safety, while we will enjoy a significant drop in our energy costs to boot. We are grateful to our Tax Increment Finance Authority, who funded the project.”
Over the next several months, selected corridors along Ford and Telegraph Roads will also see improvements in the form of new LED lights, Paletko said.
“The timing is right to do this”, he said. “While the initial costs to execute projects like this are normally pretty high, we are enjoying the benefits of some generous incentives through DTE, and well as some other grant funding. These, combined with the reduction in energy costs will give us roughly an 18-month payback on our investment.
“These new energy-efficient lights will significantly increase the level of lighting in these areas, which will result in both reduced costs and increased safety. It really is a ‘win-win’ scenario for the City and our residents.”