Skip to content
NOWCAST KMBC 9 News at 9PM on KCWE
Live Now
Advertisement

Hundreds of defective purple street lights being replaced in Kansas City

The defective lights emit a purplish-blue color

Hundreds of defective purple street lights being replaced in Kansas City

The defective lights emit a purplish-blue color

REPORTER: I’M OUTSIDE PARKWAY AUDIO WHERE THE OWNER SAYS GOOD LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT. TAKE A LOOK HONEY. -- KINDLY -- TAKE A LOOK BEHIND ME. YOU CAN SEE WHERE HE’S INSTALLED A CAGE AROUND HIS FRONT DOOR AFTER A COUPLE BREAK-INS IN THE LAST YEAR. DEFECTIVE LIGHTING HASN’T HELPED. >> WITH THE NEW LED LIGHTS, MAYBE I WILL BE HAPPIER WITH THEM. REPORTER: BUT PARKWAY AUDIO OWNER JASON PRATT CERTAINLY HASN’T BEEN HAPPY WITH THE DEFECTIVE BLUE LED LIGHTS NOW BEING REPLACED NEAR HIS BUSINESS. >> IT’S NOT AS PROTECTIVE AS THE OLDER LIGHTS USED TO BE, I’M JUST REALLY NOT A FAN. REPORTER: NEWSCHOPPER 9 SHOWED US THE DEFECTIVE PURPLE LED LIGHTS THURSDAY MORNING. A LITTLE LATER IN THE DAY, FOREMAN JOHN BICKEL’S CREW FROM BLOCK AND MCDONALD WAS REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE LIGHTS ON 39TH STREET AT THE 71 HIGHWAY OVERPASS. BICKEL SAID CREWS HAVE REPLACED ABOUT 500 DEFECTIVE LIGHTS ALONG 71 HIGHWAY. THE LIGHTS ARE BEING REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME KANSAS CITY GOVERNMENT IS IN THE MIDST OF A MAJOR PROJECT. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, THE CITY WILL REPLACE 90,000 STREETLIGHTS WITH LEDS. THIS BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE ON NORTHEAST 44TH STREET SHOWS LEDS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE ONES THEY REPLACED. ELECTRICIAN RICHARD GORDON AGREES. >> WORLD CUP IS COMING HERE, SO WE DO NEED TO GET MORE LIGHTS OUT. REPORTER: HOWEVER, THE CURRENT REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE LIGHTS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE METRO AREA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH LEDS. IN DECEMBER 2021, OLATHE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. >> SEEING THAT I’M OFF OF PROSPECT, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD LIGHTING. REPORTER: ON THE PLUS SIDE THE DEFECTIVE LIGHTS BEING REPLACED ARE UNDER WARRANTY, SO THERE’S NO COST TO TAXPAYERS. IN KANSAS CITY, ANDY ALCOCK KMBC 9 NEWS. KRIS: ACCORDING TO CITY LEADERS THE LED STREET LIGHT CONVERSION PROJECT WILL REDUCE ENERGY AND MAINTENANCE COSTS AND WILL REDUCE THE CITY’S CARB
Advertisement
Hundreds of defective purple street lights being replaced in Kansas City

The defective lights emit a purplish-blue color

Hundreds of defective street lights are being replaced in Kansas City.Foreman John Bickel from Black and McDonald said his crew had replaced about 500 of the LED street lights along 71 Highway.On Thursday, his crew replaced street lights on 39th Street at the 71 Highway overpass.Not far from that job, another crew was also at work on Doctor Martin Luther King Boulevard near Prospect.The defective lights emit a purplish-blue color.Parkway Audio owner Jason Pratt’s business is near where some of the defective lights are being replaced.“Seeing that I’m off of Prospect, it’s very important to have good lighting,” he said.Pratt also said he’d had two break-ins in the last year.About six months ago, he installed a cage around his front door to deter potential burglars.“Maybe with the new LED lights, maybe I’ll be happier with them,” Pratt said.The replacement of the defective LED street lights comes simultaneously as a major city project.Over the next several years, Kansas City leaders plan to replace about 90,000 street lights with LEDs.They say they are more energy-efficient and cost-effective.The city has posted a map showing where work has been done, where it’s being done, and where it will be done.Electrician Richard Gordon supports the project, which he believes will help Kansas City.“The draft coming here, then the World Cup coming here, a lot of stuff is going on in Kansas City. It’s great to be a part of it,” Gordon said.As for the street light replacement project, because those lights are under warranty, that project is being done at no cost to taxpayers.

Hundreds of defective street lights are being replaced in Kansas City.

Foreman John Bickel from Black and McDonald said his crew had replaced about 500 of the LED street lights along 71 Highway.

Advertisement

On Thursday, his crew replaced street lights on 39th Street at the 71 Highway overpass.

Not far from that job, another crew was also at work on Doctor Martin Luther King Boulevard near Prospect.

The defective lights emit a purplish-blue color.

Parkway Audio owner Jason Pratt’s business is near where some of the defective lights are being replaced.

“Seeing that I’m off of Prospect, it’s very important to have good lighting,” he said.

Pratt also said he’d had two break-ins in the last year.

About six months ago, he installed a cage around his front door to deter potential burglars.

“Maybe with the new LED lights, maybe I’ll be happier with them,” Pratt said.

The replacement of the defective LED street lights comes simultaneously as a major city project.

Over the next several years, Kansas City leaders plan to replace about 90,000 street lights with LEDs.

They say they are more energy-efficient and cost-effective.

The city has posted a map showing where work has been done, where it’s being done, and where it will be done.

Electrician Richard Gordon supports the project, which he believes will help Kansas City.

“The draft coming here, then the World Cup coming here, a lot of stuff is going on in Kansas City. It’s great to be a part of it,” Gordon said.

As for the street light replacement project, because those lights are under warranty, that project is being done at no cost to taxpayers.