ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A city that’s lit up with tens of thousands of lights for the holiday season recently conducted a study to find out if much of its downtown area is too dark.
The study, which breaks down lighting in the area into four categories ranging from “lit well” to “very poor,” was requested by St. Augustine’s city commission and shows a large portion of the Historic District’s lighting falls within the “poor” and “very poor” range.
St. Augustine’s mayor said the business community has been asking for more lights while the city’s manager said the study was conducted at night over the course of a few months in an area that had 300 streetlights.
Additionally, data was collected using a meter that measures the amount of light that falls on a surface.
Debbie Jones, who has lived in the area for the last decade, said a study like this should have been conducted years ago to solve what she calls “a big problem,” but she’s glad that the city is looking into fixing the issue.
“A lot of times I’m alone and I think ‘I’m going to go', and then I say, ‘No that’s not a smart move,‘” Jones said. “And there definitely are dark areas...I just try to be smart about it when I have other people with me, or I’ll go in the daytime.”
The study goes over short-term solutions by focusing on having FPL install overhead lights on existing poles on Cordova Street, or long-term solutions like redesigning certain streets to be curb-less.
But whatever is done, Jones wants to make sure the upgrades fit the essence of the city.
“It needs to be the oldest inhabited city in the United States and it needs to be preserved,” she said.
The mayor also tells News4JAX that she’s not sure when suggestions in the report will be implemented since this is only a report and the commission would have to direct staff on further action.
A full presentation on this study will be done tomorrow at the commissioner meeting at 5 p.m.