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Letter: Springsteen called it right when it comes light

Dear Editor, To paraphrase Bruce Springsteen, "There's a darkness all over town". Why is Richmond so poorly lit? As we get deeper into the dark and rainy season, driving, biking and walking get more difficult and dangerous.
LED street lights
LED street lights

Dear Editor,

To paraphrase Bruce Springsteen, "There's a darkness all over town".

Why is Richmond so poorly lit?

As we get deeper into the dark and rainy season, driving, biking and walking get more difficult and dangerous. I’ve lost track of the number of thoroughfares where the lane divider lines are close to invisible or non-existent. Very few have reflectors to mark the lanes. The streetlights themselves seem to have less wattage than light bulbs in our homes.

The worst area I’ve seen is on Moncton Street in Steveston. Talk about dark and dingy — it looks like there is zero life in the Village. I’m amazed that there aren’t more pedestrian involved accidents because of the abysmal state of lighting on Richmond streets. Add rain to the equation and the situation gets exponentially worse.

Many people claim that safety is near the top of their priority needs, so it would help if the city would take action to drastically improve this situation in order to make our streets safer for all users.

Donald Grant

RICHMOND