Mayor Buckhorn Introduces 'Bright Lights, Safe Nights' Initiative

Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced the 'Bright Lights, Safe Nights' street lighting program today. The City of Tampa will commit $2.2 million over the next five years to keep our streets safe and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

"Brighter lights means safer neighborhoods and safer streets," said Buckhorn. "Joining with our partners at TECO, this initiative will eliminate dark areas where criminals can hide and illuminate streets and intersections where our children cross."

Each year, a city-wide inventory of street lights will be done. Dimming street lights will be replaced, and any tree branches that are obstructing the light will be trimmed.

After five years, approximately 8,400 new street lights will be added to the city's overall grid, expanding the current street light network by 30 percent. The new street lights will be installed beginning in January 2013 and will be strategically placed throughout the City of Tampa, including in Community Redevelopment Areas as well as in zones with high crime or high crash rates.

Tampa Electric oversees the installation of new streetlights within the City of Tampa. The City of Tampa funds the maintenance and electricity.

"We are pleased to be a part of this initiative. We’ve been lighting Tampa for 114 years, and we look forward to doing our part to meet the mayor’s goal," said Gordon Gillette, president of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas.

The initiative fulfills Mayor Buckhorn's promise to complete a city-wide lighting inventory to determine where street lights need to be updated, repaired, or replaced.

For a fact sheet on Mayor Buckhorn's 'Bright Lights, Safe Nights' initiative, please visit tampagov.net/media. To request either a repair on an existing streetlight or for installation of a new streetlight, please visit tampagov.net/streetlight or call (813) 274-5800.