By Carol P. Bartold     

Jun. 8, 2016: Village Administrator Jim Palmer reports that the first phase of a new street lighting program in Bronxville's downtown business district should be complete over the summer months. New light poles and light fixtures will be installed on Pondfield Road beginning at Meadow Avenue and on Kraft Avenue to Sagamore Road and Kensington Road.

As part of the test, phase warmth and color of light output have been measured. "We are taking into account transitional areas into the downtown where residential units may be located at the ground level by using shields to ensure illumination is limited to the sidewalk," he said.

A decision several years in the making, the street lighting upgrade will effect a change from incandescent, non-directed lighting to more effective and energy efficient LED lighting. Mayor Mary Marvin noted that the village has been able to take advantage of technological improvements in the cast and color of LED lighting to achieve the desired result for the village.

"We had to adapt for safety reasons," Marvin stated. "Lifestyles have changed, people are working later, and villagers constantly commented on the insufficient lighting when they got off the train." She added that with the opening of more restaurants and health clubs people frequent the downtown business district later into the evenings than in the past.

In November of 2015 the board of trustees adopted a resolution to award a contract for street lighting fixtures to Woodlawn Electrical Supply of Yonkers. Forty light poles, 14 feet in height, will be installed in the downtown business district. Ten taller fixtures will be positioned at key crosswalks. Holophane, founded in the 1890s and a leading company in the lighting industry, manufactures the poles.

Palmer pointed out that the poles will be equipped with outlets to allow decorative lighting to lend a festive atmosphere to the downtown business district during holidays.

LED globe lights, costing $2,154.50 each, will direct light downward toward the street from the 14-foot poles. Ten teardrop lights, costing $5,219.50 each, will provide a higher level of illumination at the crosswalks.

According to Mayor Marvin, the 189-watt incandescent lights in use for many years in the village have fragile filaments that tend to break in the slightest wind and as the result of light snowfalls. She said that the labor-intensive maintenance to keep them in good working order has become prohibitive. She added that it is not possible to retrofit the globes with shields that will direct the light downward toward sidewalks and crosswalks.

"We're in the testing stage," Marvin said, "as to light direction and wattage and getting wattage sensors set properly. Please bear with us as we work to get it right."

Pictured here:  New street light in Bronxville's business district.

Photo by A. Warner