Safety improvements made to West Campus as Austin Energy upgrades lights

Austin Energy says it has made safety improvements to West Campus by upgrading hundreds of streetlights.

The community-owned electric utility collaborated with SafeHorns and other organizations to address low lighting and lack of lighting in the area of West 29th Street, Guadalupe Street, North Lamar Boulevard, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

People walking, biking, and driving through the area can expect a number of safety improvements implemented by Austin Energy staff including:

  • Retrofitted 600 streetlamps to brighter LED bulbs
  • Repaired non-functioning lighting fixtures
  • Trimmed trees in an ongoing effort to raise tree canopies above the lighting and better illuminate sidewalks below
  • Installed 15 additional streetlights

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Elton Richards, Austin Energy vice president of field service operations, said in a news release, "The actions we’ve taken and will take in the future will provide brighter and safer roadways and pathways for students, residents and visitors to West Campus."

The improvements follow an Austin City Council resolution directing city staff to complete a lighting study and make recommendations for lighting strategies in West Campus. 

Multiple city agencies, including the Austin Police Department and the Austin Transportation Department, collaborated on the West Campus Lighting study and recommendations.