Motorists in the city of Gainesville may have noticed night-time driving is a little easier on some city streets.
That's because a project to convert nearly 1,800 streetlights in the city from high pressure sodium bulbs to to LED lights is well underway.
Georgia Power Company spokeswoman Ashley Stukes said last week 336 streetlights have been converted to the higher-efficiency LED lighting so far. The work is taking place all over the city. The changeover began in late December.
While the energy efficiency is a plus, Stukes said the brighter LED lighting also makes the streets safer for drivers.
"It means the human eye can see better when it comes to street signs, bicyclists, pedestrians, things of that nature," said Stukes.
"The quality of the LED light is more directed to stay right on the roadway where needed," she said. That means less glare for drivers and fewer dark spots, as well.
Georgia Power initially said the project would be finished by the end of March, but Stukes said it might take longer than that, depending on similar projects in other cities.
Georgia Power is funding the LED conversion project.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/1/361184/georgia-power-makes-progress-on-led-streetlight-project-in-gainesville