Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has set in motion a plan to brighten the streets of Filipinotown with an eco-friendly shine, promising increased public safety and infrastructure resilience. Announced today, this initiative will see the installation of hundreds of new solar-powered streetlights designed to counter the persistent issue of copper wire theft, which has left many neighborhoods in the dark. During a visit to the Bureau of Street Lighting crews this morning, Mayor Bass oversaw the implementation of the new technology, as documented in the Mayor's office.
The Mayor's office is leveraging innovation, from revamping the MyLA311 system to adopting solar lighting, to keep neighborhoods safe, clean, and properly serviced. Mayor Bass stated, "We are using new and innovative ways to improve city services for Angelenos – from modernizing the MyLA311 system to installing new solar lighting," exhibiting a commitment to addressing Los Angeles's long-standing challenges proactively. Solar lights, more resilient to vandalism and theft than traditional systems, present a sustainable solution to the woes of copper wire crime, ensuring light persists through troubled times.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, the representative for the area and Chair of the Public Works Committee, echoed the Mayor's sentiment, emphasizing the benefits of investing in renewable infrastructure like solar streetlights. Hernandez said, "Investing in sustainable infrastructure like these solar street lights is a win for our communities and our planet. We're reducing our carbon footprint, we're deterring copper wire theft, and we're tackling the streetlight backlog in the neighborhoods that need it most," highlighting the drive to deliver improved city services and faster remediation to the affected areas.
The CEO of Fonroche Lighting America, Hocine Benaoum, pointed out the efficiency and practical advantages of their solar lighting solutions. "Fonroche solar lighting is not only quick and easy to deploy, but it also tackles key challenges of grid-tied systems. Smartlights enable cities to transform their lighting infrastructure, eliminating wire theft while offering greater resilience and cost-effectiveness," Benaoum told the Mayor's office.
The solar streetlight initiative is not limited to Filipinotown as it expands its reach to Watts and reflects prior successes in the San Fernando Valley, where the Mayor unveiled the first phase, consisting of more than 100 solar-powered lights.
