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Lights along I-5 will dim after ODOT examination By JILL BRISKEY The state is turning off street lights along Oregon freeways to save money, but local transportation officials say drivers won't be left in the dark. Earlier this year, Gov. John Kitzhaber ordered state agencies to reduce energy use by 10 percent. The Oregon Department of Transportation has responded by turning off street lights in select areas, a decision expected to save more than $120,000 annually. According to ODOT District Manager John Vial, an estimated 36 lights along Interstate 5 on- and off-ramps in the Rogue Valley could be shut off this winter. A study examining motor vehicle crashes at selected locations is under way to determine the safety of each decision, Vial said. The street lights are being shut off as reviews are complete, he added. "The whole thing is currently under investigation," Vial said. "It could take a few months." Locally, Vial said ODOT is considering removing eight "illuminaires" or street lights at south Ashland's Greensprings exit, nine at north Ashland's Valley View, three at Medford'sBarnett Road and 16 at Central Point's Pine Street exit. Vial said other interchanges cannot afford to lose any lighting. An average street light burns 351 hours each month at a cost of 6 cents per kilowatt hour. Vial said sensors activate the lights, turning them on from dusk until dawn. Shutting off 36 lights would save the state about $4,320 yearly. Vial said lights at the beginning and end of each ramp will remain lit. Lights directing Interstate 5 traffic onto city or county roads also will remain on. Despite thick fog that settles over the Rogue Valley some winter days, Vial said reducing lighting in specific locations shouldn't create a hazard. Fog lines offer more guidance than street lights, he added. "They create a very large glare," Vial said. "A lot of the lighting is redundant. People probably won't even notice." Statewide, lights will remain bright in areas with inadequate road shoulders, high levels of pedestrian traffic, curvy stretches, at the top of exit ramps and places where lanes merge, said state transportation engineer Ed Fischer. "Safety is our top priority. We would not reduce lighting in an area if our analysis showed it would create a safety problem," said Fischer. "We will be watching these areas carefully and we will turn the lights back on if safety is not maintained." The reductions could be made permanent in two years if ODOT determines safety wasn't adversely affected, Fischer said. ODOT spokesman Jared Castle said other steps to reduce power use include shutting off excess building lights, lowering office temperatures and shutting off computers at night. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.