Atlanta residents hope street light initiative will reduce crime
ATLANTA - A light up the night initiative will turn on 10,000 new street lights in the city of Atlanta and evaluate all the old street lights.
Many residents and homeowners in District 10 have complained about dark streets for so long. They say this initiative is a game changer that should also reduce crime.
"I am so very excited because we have been in darkness for a long, long time. To have light shine upon us is wonderful," 70-year resident Cynthia Dunn-Durhart.
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Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says six months of planning have gone into the effort.
As part of the Lighter Brighter Initiative with corporate partner Georgia Power, every one of the cities 50,000 street lamps will be evaluated, plus there are new lights coming on board too.
"We have had the benefit of looking at results across the country and best practices, so we know what will work to reduce crime," said Mayor Bottoms.
City officials say the citywide light upgrade will take 18 months to roll out.
The "One Atlanta—Light Up the Night" initiative will increase the City of Atlanta’s streetlight footprint by 10,000 lights—with focus on areas with high rates of traffic crashes and crime. The plan follows a six-month streetlight inventory and assessment conducted by the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) and a team of industrial engineering students at the Georgia Institute of Technology.