Arlington County is touting its LED streetlight program.
In a new video from the county-run Arlington TV channel, the county says the program of replacing older streetlights with new LED streetlights is saving the Arlington $300,000 annually, thanks to the fact that the new lights are 75 percent more energy efficient. The LED lights will eventually save $1 million annually, after more are installed.
The video also indirectly touched on the controversial aspect of LED streetlights — resident complaints that the new lights are “offensively bright” and shine a blue light that’s “just plain ugly.”
“The lights shine a pure white light that is closer to natural sunlight, and may initially appear overly bright or harsh,” the narrator says. “This is normal. In fact, they’re actually less bright than the older bulbs. So it’s just new — and different.”