Wisconsin keeps building new highways, but like plowing, pot hole repairs and other maintenance services it defers, the state can't find the money to replace burned-out bulbs in the very lamps that keep the roads and motorists safe.
This is what happens when priorities do not connect with reality: the public's true needs are kept in the dark.
And just down the road--literally, in Racine--is Ruud Lighting, which just began producing LED street lights, which are more energy efficient and have a much longer lifespan than the traditional street/roadside lighting installations.
ReplyDeleteSee this recent article from last week:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=780210
And also down the road, in the other direction in Madison, is Dew & Ken Group Inc, another maker of LED street lighting.
And they've got an article from a couple months ago, too:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=759472
Note that both of those companies have been supplying LED fixtures to far-away places like Anchorage, Alaska and China.
How great would it be if WisDOT and other area municipalities made major efforts to adopt this technology?! They not only would be upgrading to much superior lighting products, but their support would also be a big boost to a couple of home-grown companies.