The City of San Diego is planning to replace streetlight series circuits at two locations with a more modern streetlight system using $3.5 million in federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funding through the Light Up San Diego Streetlight Improvement Program.

This funding will pay for streetlight repairs on Garnet Avenue and Logan Avenue, two priority locations identified by the City’s Transportation Department out of 42 locations in need of series circuit system replacements.

“This additional grant funding will greatly improve our ability to provide modern, reliable lighting to the Pacific Beach and Logan Heights communities,” said Bethany Bezak, Director of San Diego’s Transportation Department. “These projects, along with the contractual and City streetlight repairs being conducted citywide, will have a significant impact in reducing future outages and the backlog of streetlights needing repair.”

The new parallel lighting system, in which each streetlight is individually connected to a power source, will replace outdated series circuit lighting systems originally installed in the 1920s which are now unreliable and continue to incur high maintenance costs to the City. New lighting systems will improve mobility, accessibility and safety for both pedestrians and vehicle traffic.

The scope of both projects includes furnishing all labor, materials, equipment, design services and construction, including but not limited to trenching, installing new electrical conduits and circuits, pull boxes, poles, light fixtures, and other appurtenances to upgrade existing high voltage series circuit street lighting system to low voltage parallel circuit system.

Converting all streetlights from incandescent, induction and high-pressure sodium bulbs to LED will help decarbonize City infrastructure as part of the City of San Diego Climate Action Plan. By switching to energy efficient lights, energy consumption would be reduced and therefore help the City achieve climate action targets.

The current budget estimate for Logan Avenue Series Circuit Conversion is projected to be $1,885,000, comprising 29 streetlights. The current budget estimate for Garnet Avenue Series Circuit Conversion is projected to be $5,005,000 with two series circuits and a total of 77 streetlights. Both projects are expected to be in design for two years and construction for two years.

After being heard at the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the grant funding item will go before City Council for approval.