This is a project update discussion, no action is requested or required.

The SLEDS Project’s primary objective is to find a solution to Flagstaff’s current
street lighting replacement need while balancing dark skies, safety and maintenance/cost effectiveness objectives.
 
The SLEDS Project is the result of several years of discussions between the City and the local observatories (USNOFS and Lowell Observatory) and the Dark Skies Coalition that started in May 2012. At that time, the City found itself in a lighting predicament as Low Pressure Sodium (LPS), the preferred lighting source since 1989, was becoming increasingly more expensive to purchase, quality replacement parts were becoming more difficult to acquire and we were experiencing structural failures of the pole/mast arm connection due to the size and weight of the LPS fixture, especially in wind prone areas.
 
In June 2015, Council approved an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with ADOT to secure funding for the SLEDS Project. This was in the form of $100K (FY16) to hire a Consultant Team and $200K (FY16) for test fixtures to support the Consultant Team’s work. With all of the funding coming from the Flagstaff Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (FMPO) Surface Transportation Program (STP).
 
The following from the SLEDS Request for Proposals summarizes the projects direction and goals: “The City seeks cost effective replacement technologies that (1) maintain or approximate current lighting levels and (2) do not adversely impact the City’s dark sky natural resource or the missions of the Lowell Observatory and the U.S. Naval Observatory. In consideration of cost effectiveness, the City seeks to utilize existing light pole infrastructure."
 
In September 2015, the Consultant Team, led by Monrad Engineering, was awarded a one year and $100K contract to conduct applied research in order to develop a replacement strategy for the City’s increasingly obsolete LPS streetlights with newer technology (LED). This contract was previously modified to a total amount of $141K.
 
The SLEDS Project has been an opportunity for Flagstaff to demonstrate to other municipalities an innovative lighting solution for dark sky preservation with Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology that achieves municipal objectives for safety and cost effectiveness and astronomical objectives for maintaining dark skies. This has helped guide the SLEDS team as we’ve worked towards a Flagstaff lighting solution.

The SLEDS Team has completed the following tasks:

• An assessment of the viability of continuing to use LPS, which is no longer available as of July 2019
• A structural analysis of existing light pole/mast arm assemblies and retrofit recommendations for existing poles/masts
• Test fixture specification and procurement
• Installation of test fixtures:
  • Arterial and select Major Collectors - NBALED @ 12k lumens
    • Butler Avenue - Milton to Sawmill
    • Fourth Street - Route 66 to Industrial
  • Arterial and select Major Collectors - Hybrid LED @ 9k lumens
    • Butler Avenue - Sawmill to Ponderosa Parkway
    • Route 66 - Arrowhead to Fourth Cedar at West signalized intersection
  • Residential Minor Collectors and Local Streets - NBALED @ 1500 lumens and 2500 lumens
    • Southern half of the Cheshire neighborhood
• Solicit public feedback on the test installations through survey and lighting tours
• Draft SLEDS Project Report
• Developed City Wide replacement scenarios – Retrofit

Final Steps:

• Finalize SLEDS Project Report
• Draft New Engineering Standards
• City Council Regular Meeting for consideration of Engineering Standards for New Construction adoption (by Ordinance).

Council Goals:

Section 8 - Environmental and Natural Resources - Align City Policies and Street Lighting to Enhance Dark Skies (SLEDS)