Milton considers reducing streetlights
Residents of Milton, NH are being asked to eliminate some of the town’s streetlights save money as well as the environment. From Fosters.com:
At present, there are 182 street lights in the community — some illuminating the more densely populated streets in Milton Mills village and the area covered by the water precinct in Milton, while others are on poles in more rural areas, sometimes at road junctions or tricky curves, sometimes near a residence. Now the recommendation from an official town committee is to remove 99 of these street lights permanently, for an annual savings to taxpayers of $8,541.24.
…Milton resident and state Rep. Larry Brown, indicating his general approval of the committee’s proposals, said apart from lowering the town’s electricity bill whilst maintaining some lights for safety, darker skies are one of New Hampshire’s advantages.
“We don’t have the orange glow of Boston. This will be good for economics and tourism,” he said.
Milton’s proposal to slash the number of street lights is part of a national movement, the spirit of which is encapsulated at www.darkskyinitiative.org, which asserts, “Light pollution wastes $5 million nightly, steals starlight and magnifies climate change!”
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