Woodridge Code requires new subdivisions to have street lights every 200 feet. However, some old neighborhoods only have one street light per 1/4 mile. Increased visibility on the streets and sidewalks provides social benefits to the public by reducing nighttime car accidents, aiding police protection, discouraging criminal activity such as burglary and vandalism, facilitating traffic flow, inspiring community growth, increasing safety for pedestrians, and encouraging outdoor activity such as walking, exercising and socializing.
#1 "additional resident service needed" (it was #2 since 1997 (#1 was fall leaf collection - which is a service started in 2005).
Street lights cost around $4,500 per light installed. I proposed a street light replacement program, taking streets one at a time, prioritizing the darkest streets first, to eventually bring all streets up to code over 10 to 20 years. I proposed paying for the new street lights with a 1% tax on movie tickets and video rentals (50 movies a year and 50 videos a year would cost $6 a year) which would raise $155,000 a year.
12-07-07 - Click here for the approved streetlight sharing program.
08-17-06 - The Village Board held a workshop on the cost-sharing program for residents to obtain streetlights. Click here for a DRAFT of the program. Click here for the meeting minutes.
04-06-06 - One option proposed by Village staff would be a cost-sharing program wherein the Village would pay 1/2 of the cost and residents would pay 1/2 the cost.
Details will be worked out over the next few months.
03-04-06 - minutes from a Woodridge Village Board workshop
02-22-06 - I spoke with Elgin general services manager David Lawry regarding Elgin's efforts to bring the street lights in older neighborhoods up to modern standards. Click here for a newspaper article.
UPDATE: Elgin is considering adding 1,500 streetlights. We are facing similar issues in Woodridge having completed a survey that indicates we need 420 additional streetlights to bring all streets up to current code.
02-02-06 - At tonight's Board Meeting, I raised the issue of the street light problem in the Winston Hills subdivision. There are four streets, each 1/2 mile long, with only one streetlight on each street. Click here for the minutes of the meeting.
02-01-06 - I sent an email to Lombard Trustee Ken Florey regarding the street light issues that are having in Lombard (which are similar to issues we have in Woodridge). Click here for a newspaper article.
10-28-04 - I attended a 3 1/2 hour goal-setting workshop with the Village Board and Department Managers. One of the issues that I raised was the need for increased street lighting for the older sections of Woodridge.
09-16-04 - I met with a resident who asked about more street lights for their street (there is one light on the half-mile long street).
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