News Releases
Thursday, February 9, 2012 News from the City of Lawrence
(Sent: 2012-02-09 08:27:25)NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
===================
Thursday, February 9, 2012 News from the City of Lawrence
1) Lawrence’s traffic signals now 100% LED
2) Indoor aquatic center to offer long course lap swimming
===================
Contact: Megan Gilliland, communications manager, (785) 832-3406
11) Lawrence’s traffic signals now 100% LED
(Lawrence, Kan.) – Today, the City of Lawrence will complete its final installation of LED traffic signals. Since mid-1990s, the city has replaced incandescent traffic signals with high-efficiency LED traffic signals and was the first city in Kansas to start this conversion. Each LED traffic signal saves approximately 120 watts of electricity per hour of use. Over the course of a year, the city estimates that each LED signal saves over $1,600 per signal, per year.
“LED traffic signals save the city money in the long run in two ways,” said Shoeb Uddin, city engineer. “First, they use eight times less energy than traditional incandescent lighting. Additionally, the LED-transition has led to lower personnel costs because LEDs have a much longer life-span and do not need to be changed as frequently.”
The city has already realized a cost savings of over $100,000 per year in reduced electricity for traffic signals. Once all 85 signals in Lawrence are LED, the estimated cost to operate the LED signals will be 90% less than what the city paid in the mid-1990s to operate the incandescent signals. The city estimates that traditional incandescent traffic signals cost approximately $1,821.19 per year to operate. LED traffic signals cost $202.37 per year, or a savings of $1,618.82. The annual estimated cost savings for the LED traffic signals is $137,599.70.
City crews will complete the installation of the last LED traffic signal at 9th and Massachusetts Street this morning. The project was initiated by city traffic engineer David Woosley and has been completed utilizing in-house personnel.
===================
Prepared by: Roger Steinbrock, (785) 832-3458
22) Indoor aquatic center to offer long course lap swimming
(Lawrence, Kan.) – Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive, will set up its competition pool for long-course lap swimming Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18-19.
During long-course weekend, lap lanes will be 50-yards long. Regular short-course (25-yard) lap swimming will resume on Monday, Feb. 20.
Lap swimming hours at the Indoor Aquatic Center are from 9 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 5:45 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, contact the aquatic center at (785) 832-7946.
-END-
