Some lesser “professional” news organizations just throw up the first press release that pops into their inbox. But here at CDNews, our crack team of humans and canines are dedicated to giving you clear, accurate, balanced reporting.
So when the city sends out a press release announcing the installation of new LED streetlights on Cherry Street, we go out and check it out. In fact, we’ve been checking it out every day this week since we got the original press release announcing the in-progress installation of the lights, all in an effort to get a thrilling LED-installation-in-action photo spread for your news enjoyment.
But our news hole hopes were dashed again this afternoon when we struck out on a grueling 4 block walk and found that Cherry Street’s streetlights were the same old boring sodium variety.
We then hit the phones, worked our sources, and talked to the helpful Scott Thomsen, spokesperson for Seattle City Light, who expressed surprise at our report of an LED-less street. He dug into it, checked with the streetlight department, and found further surprise among its management, who were told the work was all done.
But we can now report that a city light manager is on his way out to the scene tonight, to verify our reporting and make sure we know what an LED streetlight is supposed to look like. If confirmed, they’ll further investigate with the installation crews and see what kind of snafu may have befallen the LED installation program.
So stay tuned, and get ready for a less orange, new high-tech glow on the Cherry Street when twilight envelops The Twilight (a CDNews sponsor).
Update: City Light management confirmed that the new LED lights didn’t go in, due to some sick workers on the installation crew. The new schedule is for them to be installed next week, possibly as soon as Monday.
Its great that you’re making sure people are doing what they say they’re doing :) I like those LED lights.
Let there be light!
some mainstream media moguls might have just looked up at the lights as they stumbled into the twilight, but not our CDN! :)
Great to see you are keep those shonky donkeys accountable. Bring on the LEDs.
I don’t like LED lighting. It’s actually awful- makes the street look cold, clinical and zombieland-like.
The orange sodium lights are fine. I can see the case for the savings on electricity (which amount to a 26% savings) and a longer bulb life (which I doubt the electrical worker’s union is happy about) … but I still have to voice my opinion. Green isn’t the new orange.
As one of those members of the electrical workers union, I can tell you that we are fine with the new lamps.
As for the light they give off, I’ve been around long enough to remember all the pearl-clutching and hand-wringing that went on when we switched to the high-pressure sodium. You would have thought the world was coming to an end, yet here we are again. Give it a month or so, no one will remember (and we’ll all benefit from the savings, which amount to considerably more than 26 percent)
While I have not yet seen these lights in action, the color temperature of most white LED light is closer to daylight (bluer) than we’re used to for artificial light. It will actually make color perception at night more similar to what we see during the day. My red car may actually look red under the LED lighting.
I saw the LED lights on Cherry. They are beautiful.. Are they planning to change every light to LED?