By JASON SUBIK
Staff Writer
The Amsterdam Common Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to agree to maintain, repair and power 21 new LED lights to be installed on the Route 30 bridge over the Mohawk River.
The lights are being replaced as part of $10.6 million worth of state Department of Transportation bridge repair work announced in 2019. The work on Route 30 over the Mohawk River, east and west arterial, will include sidewalk and deck rehabilitation, and joint replacement on the outside lanes.
Amsterdam City Engineer Mike Clark told the council the lights are being replaced as part of the bridge reconstruction.
“The current lighting on the bridge is being replaced with LED lights that meet the illumination requirements of the state and federal government for highway bridges,” Clark said.
NYSDOT is paying for entire initial cost of the new lighting, which will include the following items:
• Underground duct system, including plastic conduits, wire and pull boxes.
• Five new light foundations.
• Nineteen new highway light standards and 21 arms with 21 LED luminaries.
• A meter cabinet that will power the lighting system.
NYSDOT spokesman Jim Piccola Wednesday said he didn’t have a cost estimate for the LED project, but said it’s the policy of New York state to replace any existing state-owned lighting with more energy efficient Light Emitting Diodes whenever there is a major state highway or bridge reconstruction project.
According to a NYSDOT roadway lighting brochure titled “New Lighting Technology and Roadway Lighting”, New York state now favors LEDs, which create a bluish white light that produce about 70 lumens per 120 watts of electricity compared to the older high pressure sodium lamps which project a yellowish light with about 80 lumens of brightness per 120 watts of energy. NYSDOT wrote the pamphlet in partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
According to the brochure, LED lights last longer — 30,000 to 100,000 hours for LEDs compared to 24,000 to 30,000 for high pressure sodium. The LEDs also use less energy, 55 to 300 watts, compared to 35 to 400 watts for high pressure sodium.
Piccola said typically when NYSDOT replaces older lights with LEDs they find some of the lights have been broken and inactive, sometimes for years. He said the light produced by the LEDs has been tested to the newest standards for road safety.
“I’m sure this bridge will be lit properly,” Piccola said.
Albany-based Abbott Energy in 2019 used a $50,000 grant from NYSERDA to determine that about 1/3 of the city’s street light fixtures were actually out. At the time of the presentation, the city was paying National Grid to maintain the light system.
Clark said Amsterdam will be obligated to do more for the NYSDOT LED replacement than what is currently required by the existing high pressure sodium lamps. He said the city has always been responsible for repairing or replacing NYSDOT light poles, fixtures and bulbs, but the LEDs come with new obligations.
“We also paid the power before, but we’ve never maintained the pertinent items that make that lighting work, including a meter cabinet at the south end of the bridge and the actual wire and the conduit itself,” he said. “That is a departure from what the city has done historically.”
Deputy Mayor James Martuscello, who represents the city’s 5th Ward, asked Clark whether the city should maintain the lights, pay National Grid to do it or whether a company like Abbott Energy should do it.
“Whether we do it, or we hire someone, DOT is insistent that it’s going to be on the city’s dime that the city’s going to be responsible for the poles,” Clark said.
City Controller Matt Agresta asked Clark how long the new LEDs are likely to last without creating any maintenance cost for the city.
“To throw a dart at the wall, if all goes well and no joking, 15 years,” Clark said.
First Ward Alderman Patrick Russo said he’s troubled by the new maintenance obligations for the LED lighting.
“I just don’t want to take care of lighting structures, personally,” he said. “To me, [maintaining the wire conduit], that would be the most difficult and expensive part to do, because that’s underneath the bridge, not on top, you can’t see it.”
“Make no mistake, that is correct,” Clark said.
Russo advocated the city continue its past practice of hiring-out the light maintenance.
“Can’t we just dump this off with National Grid who already maintains the rest of our lighting system?” he asked.
“Well, I think we’re trying to get away from National Grid at this point,” Agresta said.
Mayor Cinquanti asked Clark what the energy savings would be from the LEDs versus the existing high pressure sodium lights.
Clark said he wasn’t sure, but he knows there will be some savings.
“These are definitely the newest generation, these are LED lights and the [power] demand is going to be — just by nature of how they operate — it is going to be significantly less than what we pay now,” Clark said. “Ultimately every light, everywhere, is going to be LED.”
Cinquanti said the city needs to get moving on replacing the rest of its street lamps with LEDs.
Third Ward Alderwoman Irene Collins asked what the length of the warranty will be on the Route 30 bridge LEDs.
Clark said the LEDs won’t be installed until the spring of 2021 and after the work is finished all of the work will be guaranteed by state contract for a year.
Martuscello asked what happens if a driver crashes into one of the poles and “wipes it out.”
Clark said the city will be responsible, but can attempt to recoup costs from the driver’s insurance.
“Well, what if the person doesn’t have insurance?” Russo asked.
“Then we eat it!” Collins quipped.
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