Brighter days in Kansas City: 90,000 LED lights installed around the city

By Kathy Feist

Mayor Quinton Lucas’ raised basket crane could not quite reach the overhead streetlight to turn on the city’s 90,000th LED light bulb. Instead, an electrical engineer from Black & McDonald quickly did the honor at the lighting celebration Monday evening. 

What the Mayor did reach was one of the city’s milestones to a greener community. 

“Tonight we celebrate the 90,000th lightbulb change,” he proclaimed. ”This is a huge deal for so many communities in Kansas City: helping businesses and neighborhoods address longstanding concerns regarding public safety, making sure that we are being more environmentally conscious and making sure that we are being cost conscious.”

The city estimates it is saving approximately $5 million annually in energy and maintenance costs and conserving nearly 27,000 tons of carbon as a result of the conversion. 

“This will have high impact,” said City Manager Brian Platt. “It is equal to taking 6,000 cars off the road every day.”

Platt added that the LED lights have more natural color and better shielding. “The light goes down into the street instead of out into your windows,” he added. The $25 million project has been a passion of Platt’s since he was hired as city manager three and a half years ago. Installation began a year later. 

There are still 11,000 streetlight fixtures that remain to be converted. Those lighting fixtures are specialty pedestrian lighting fixtures, according to Platt. “But for the most part every regular city streetlight will have LED lighting,” said Platt. 

Fifth District City Council Member and Mayor Pro-tem Ryana Parks-Shaw also shared in the celebratory moment. “The LED lights allow us to become closer to our goal of being carbon neutral by 2040,” she said, referring to the Climate Protection and Resiliency Resolution passed in 2022. 

Mayor Lucas thanked Platt, Public Works Director Michael Shaw, City Engineer Nick Bosonetto, Transportation Director Jason Waldron, City Councilmembers Shaw and Wes Rogers, and contractor Black & McDonald.