Peter Arellano, the city's director of public works,said that Beaverton plans to improve street lighting this fiscal year, with four stretches of street expected to install new lights by June 30. The public works department will also ask the City Council to make LED lights the standard for street lights city-wide. Arellano told the city's budget committee May 30.
Arellano said that the city mounted LED lights on Southwest 155th Terrace north of Southwest Scholls Ferry Road and on part of Southwest Nora Road. Southwest 139th Way and Southwest 141st Avenue are going to have lights by the end of this fiscal year.
The city plans to next year add lights to 87th Avenue between Southwest Birchwood Road and Southwest Canyon Road and to the Forest Glen subdivision. However, on the south side of Southwest Broadway Street between Southwest Watson Avenue and Southwest Cedar Hills Boulevard, the street lighting still has not got permission from Union Pacific Railroad, Arellano said.
Street light improvements are paid for by the street lighting fund, which proposes to spend $75,000 on capital projects next fiscal year. Beaverton's budget amount originally included a property-tax increase to be directed to the general fund, library fund and street lighting fund. The city's budget committee rejected the tax increase May 31.
Beaverton Finance Director Patrick O'Claire said that this city will draw money from the general fund to add the library fund and street lighting fund for making up those funds would have gained from the tax increase, said Beaverton Finance Director Patrick O'Claire.