Boston officials are in negotiations for beginning the process of converting their gas street lamps over to LED lighting to light up their sidewalks. The city is currently trying to balance being eco-friendly with its cost while keeping colonial aesthetic. Although the upfront cost can seem daunting, the new lights will offer significant savings in the long-term. LED lighting uses less energy to power the lamps and require less maintenance to preserve them. Boston has over 2,800 streetlamps across their city running off of gas power. Boston’s Chief of Streets, Jascha Franklin-Hodge, is in favor of this move to improve Boston’s carbon footprint.
“We are in a climate crisis,” he asserts, “and we need to be working in every way we can to reduce our greenhouse gasses.”
Lots of citizens in the neighborhoods that have most of the gas lamps, are worried it will take away from the historic preservation of the city. The Civic Association of Beacon Hill is working with the city to keep the balance of historical aesthetic with the need to be more energy-efficient to help fight climate change. The Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston has the most gas lamps on the streets than the other parts of the city. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the northeast and residents take a lot of pride in its colonial charm.
“The old buildings. The brick sidewalks. The gas lights,” says Rob Whitney, chair of the Civic Association of Beacon Hill. “We try to maintain the feel of a historic neighborhood. But we’re happy to make changes — if it makes sense to do so.”
Click here to read the full article originally posted on CBS Boston