PEORIA, Ill. – A local lawmaker is helping to shed some light on a problem that could help upgrade the city, while also reducing crime.
State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth says she’s secured $2.5 million in state General Revenue Fund money to help replace and upgrade street lights in every one of Peoria’s five City Council districts.
Some are broken, some light poles are beyond repair, and some are wooden and in bad shape, city officials say.
The lights may look better and be more energy efficient, but Gordon-Booth says there’s another more important reason.
“We know that, specific to the issues of public safety, that having greater street lighting gives greater opportunity for visibility,” said Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). “We know that folks that want to do harm in communities typically don’t like to do it in a well-lit area.”
The city is also contributing $1 million to the project. Most of it will come from American Rescue Plan money, but some is being paid for with Motor Fuel Tax funds.
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, at a news conference Wednesday, says the upgrades could end up leading to more than just better poles and energy-efficient lights.
“There are progressive cities that have used technology in a variety of ways,” said Ali. “Some use it for WiFi. You can actually install WiFi in the smart street lighting and make a whole block accessible to high speed (Internet) access.”
Ali says some cities use “smart” light poles to track traffic patterns and collect other forms of data.
The work to upgrade street lights is expected to start yet this year.
CLICK HERE for more information on the project from the City of Peoria.
