Mar 13, 2009 11:22 pm US/Eastern
Fitchburg Shuts Off Street Lights To Save $
FITCHBURG (WBZ) ―
A plan to shut off more than 60-percent of the street lights in Fitchburg will be put into action on Monday.
The city has mapped out more than 3,000 street lights to determine which ones will be affected.
It's a bright idea that could save about $60,000 for the remainder of this fiscal year, and about $260,000 next year.
Lights along Main Street will stay on, as well as all intersections, and routes with dangerous curves for drivers.
Some schools will also stay lit as well, particularly in rural neighborhoods of the city.
But many residents are turned off by the plan altogether, citing safety concerns.
Cindy Holloway, manager of Parrot Pizza is one of them.
"A lot of people walk to the store and different locations. I'd be concerned about their safety," she said.
Segundo Guittierez had his car vandalized during the winter ice storm when the power was out for weeks affecting the street lights.
"Without that pole I don't see anything in the street," he said looking at the street light outside his home.
Public Works commissioner Lenny Laakso says "most studies show no correlation between lights and an increase in crime."
He calls it a short-term budget solution while the city looks for other savings in the street lights account.
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