Because of the Ukraine war, energy costs are rising rapidly. This could soon lead to darker streets as some municipalities consider turning lights on later and off earlier. This is to save energy.
In view of drastically increased energy costs, the first cities are planning further savings in street lighting. Other municipalities are currently examining such a step. Reduced street lighting is “one idea in a bundle of possible measures” that is being discussed in municipalities, said Alexander Handschuh from the German Association of Towns and Municipalities.
For many cities, however, further shutting down the street lighting is no longer an option, according to a survey by the German Press Agency. The city of Weimar will reduce the duration of its street lighting from June 1st: In the summertime, the street lamps will be switched on 30 minutes later and 30 minutes earlier. In the winter months, the original lighting time is reduced by 10 minutes, as the city announced. In Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, a spokeswoman for the municipal utility said that it is not yet necessary for the city lights to run for a shorter period of time – “although we are also preparing for this”.
In view of drastically rising energy costs, the city of Mainz is discussing further reductions in the lighting of footpaths and cycle paths. In Darmstadt, a cycle path in the city and also a section of the Frankfurt – Darmstadt cycle expressway that has already been completed have been equipped with special sensors: The lamps react to movement and become brighter when a cyclist or pedestrian passes by and then darken again. Despite the increased energy prices, the cities of Leipzig and Dresden do not want to save on street lighting. Here the street lamps are currently on for about eight hours at night. Shorter operating times are not planned. “A shorter light duration is always at the expense of road safety,” says Dresden.
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