Birmingham hopes to light city parks

Published: Apr. 23, 2019 at 2:20 AM CDT
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BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Birmingham could be making a huge investment in area parks. The city is talking with Alabama Power about revamping the lighting system.

The plan is to get rid of the old lights and upgrade to LED lighting. It’s a pilot program with 12 parks in consideration. That list Includes:

  • Patton Park
  • George Ward Park
  • East Lake Park
  • Bradford Park
  • McMahon Park
  • Ensley Park
  • Dolomite Park
  • Marconi Park
  • Echo Highlands Park
  • Central Park
  • Wiggins Park
  • Overton Park

If the contract is approved the program would last three years . A lot of factors went in to play when determining which parks would be considered.

Public safety was at the top of that list.

At Patton Park 80 lights would be installed. The lighting system that Alabama Power would install would decrease the ability to vandalize the lights and wouldn't leave city parks in the dark.

Valerie Abbott Council President said this technology adds to the other safety measures the city has put in place.

" The shot spotter, the cameras, and the lighting go hand-in-hand because obviously the cameras aren't going to catch much if it's pitch black dark. Even the ones that say they can see in the dark it's not that great and there's no lights. So, all of these go together to help make the citizens of Birmingham safer," she explained.

The city council’s budget and finance committee delayed a vote on the contract Monday afternoon for two weeks, to consider adding additional parks to the list or possibly taking some off.

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