The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Seattle City Light (SCL), in collaboration with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), will be closing 15th Avenue Northwest from NW 65th to NW 80th Streets for three nights for an LED streetlight demonstration.

Closures:

The closures will take place March 6, 7, and 8 (Tuesday through Thursday) from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. each night.
 
During the closure, no on-street parking will be permitted along the study area of 15th Avenue NW, and only emergency or test vehicles will be able to drive it.  Residents who live in the study area will not be able to enter or leave 15th Avenue NW during the test period with their vehicles, although individuals are welcome to watch from the sidelines on any of the nights.
 
The goal of the demonstration project is to evaluate the use of energy-saving LED streetlights in wet and dry pavement conditions. The guidance provided by these studies will help municipalities in selecting proper lighting levels for LED streetlights, which use up to 50% less energy than traditional streetlighting technologies. 
 
The test results have shown that LEDs provide a broader spectrum of frequencies and better visibility versus typical high-pressured sodium lights, yet use far less energy.  The Northwest utilities currently have more than two million streetlights with many coming to the end of life.  LEDs could replace them over the next decade. 
 
Additional information on the study, its sustainability goals, and its resulting energy-efficiency assessments can visit the project website, located at www.neea.org/streetlighttest. 
 
For information on changes to bus service during the closures, look for Rider Alert notices at bus stops, see Metro Online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro  or call (206)553-3000.