The City of Ferndale, along with other municipalities in Washington State, will soon be benefitting from a partnership between the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) aimed at lowering Cities’ street light electric bill costs by converting bulbs and fixtures to more energy efficient LEDs.  This program, called Relight Washington, is wholly funded by TIB and results in no upfront or direct cost to Ferndale citizens and taxpayers.  However, our City will benefit from the overall reduction of the utility bill to power the lights.  Prior to the project, Ferndale’s street light bill averages approximately $16,500 per month, and this project is estimated to save the City an average of 25 to 30%!

Work started in February 2017 on a yearlong process to install new LED fixtures on our older streetlight systems. A two-man lineman crew and bucket truck may soon be noticed in your neighborhood replacing fixtures.  Working hours are approximately 9am to 4pm, Monday through Friday.  Each phase of work can take approximately 2-6 weeks, depending on the location, number of fixtures, and availability of materials needed.  Approximate schedule information is provided below and is subject to change due to weather impacts and crew availability.

For those who are curious about LEDs and how the new fixtures will affect the illumination levels in their neighborhood, benefits to LED lighting include:

• The reduction and/or elimination of light pollution – LED fixtures direct light downward and onto the pavement rather than onto adjacent properties or up into the sky.
• Broad spectrum lighting – LED fixtures offer a white light that better simulates daylight lighting conditions.
• Longevity – LED fixtures, much like LED lighting in your home, have a much longer service life and burn out less frequently than the old lights.

If you want to compare for yourself, the City has installed LED fixtures on its newer street projects such as Main Street (between Douglas and Church), Church Road (between Heather and Main), and Washington Street (between Vista and Third).  There is a noticeable difference between these LED systems and the older systems around Ferndale.

The City will be providing updates to the public regarding PSE’s schedule and location for where the work is occurring.  Please check back here for additional information, or please feel free to contact the Ferndale Public Works Department at (360) 384-4006 or the Public Works Project Manager via email at KatyRadder@cityofferndale.org.

Upcoming Work Locations and Schedule

Phase 5 – Mid to Late August 2017
Streetlight conversion to occur in downtown and south end of Ferndale, including Main Street, the Centennial Riverwalk, and the LaBounty, Shields, and Myers Estates subdivisions. Specific streets where streetlight conversions will occur are as follows (list is in alphabetical order) or view the Phase 5 map here.

Phase 4 – Mid July/August 2017
Streetlight conversion to occur in the south/central part of Ferndale, between Church Road, Vista Drive, Seamount Drive, and the southern city limits. Specific streets where streetlight conversions will occur are as follows (list is in alphabetical order) or view the Phase 4 map here.

Phase 3 – Late April/May 2017
Streetlight conversion to occur in the central part of Ferndale, between the westernmost city limits and Malloy Avenue, generally between Thornton Street and Seamount Drive. Specific streets where streetlight conversions will occur are as follows (list is in alphabetical order) or view the Phase 3 map here.

Phase 2 – Late March/Early April 2017

Streetlight conversion to occur in the northeast part of Ferndale, east of Vista and Malloy Avenues, and along Portal Way.  Specific streets where streetlight conversions will occur are as follows (list is in alphabetical order) or view the Phase 2 map here.

Phase 1 – February 2017

Streetlight conversion to occur in the north part of Ferndale, in and around the Aquarius, Captain’s Way, Evergreen Place, Glacierview, Grouse Ridge, Horizonview, Pacific Heights, Pacific Highlands, Parkland, Pheasant Ridge, Roseberry Heights, and Vista Ridge neighborhoods.  Specific streets where streetlight conversions will occur are as follows (list is in alphabetical order) or view the Phase 1 map here.