LED streetlights are making it easier to see Nashville streets at night

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Little by little, new LED lights are replacing 55,000 traditional streetlights in Nashville.

Nashville is installing new LED streetlights to make residential streets and main streets easier to see at night. It is a part of the city's effort to reach zero pedestrian deaths, called Vision Zero.

"When they did switch, I thought 'Oh My God, I can see everything now,'" said Ann Harris-Brown.

According to NES, 16,000 streetlights have been switched out so far. Crews are installing the lights five days a week.

While safety is important to us in Nashville, as you can imagine, the feedback hasn't been all positive.

According to the city, there have been some complaints to HubNashville.

One message that stood out to us said: "The light in my backyard on the alleyway is extremely bright and lights up the entire backyard and is even pointed at my yard. I cannot see the sky on any evening. It’s like a football field!"

Another message said: "There was a new LED light installed beside my house, and it’s much too bright. It is distributing my peace and quality of life. I’m requesting to either dim the light permanently or to install a warmer, less bright light."

When I asked NES if a new light could be adjusted, I was told the street light color and brightness is standardized and it was set by the Nashville Department of Transportation.

Using the project's interactive map online, you can see where NES and Metro have put the new lights.

To Harris-Brown, the new lights are like an extra layer of protection.

"I'm very curious about the neighborhood... since we got robbed one time, so I just I'm curious about it. And the lighting — I can see! Thank God I can see!" she said.

As a result of the streetlight project, NES reports that fewer streetlight maintenance requests are being made by customers.

Are the new streetlights making a difference in your neighborhood? Let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

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For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.

-Lelan Statom