Los Angeles must replace old traffic signals
Los Angeles has fallen behind in meeting a two-year-old state requirement to replace old and burned-out traffic signals with energy-efficient lights. Part of the trouble is the squabble over who should pay for the work, officials said earlier this week. According to the Los Angeles Times, officials have been working to avoid some signals going dark and to head off potential legal action by the state. The city’s Department of Transportation has requested more time to comply with the state’s regulations, claiming the city will run out of legal signals in four months. The law states that as incandescent traffic signals are replaced and older stocks of incandescent bulbs are used up, cities must install LED signals, which use 90 percent less electricity and last five to 10 times longer, although they can be much more expensive to buy. http://www.latimes.com/news/yahoo/la-me-lights8sep08,1,3735601.story?coll=la-newsaol-headlines