Light Up Manatee nearing end of initial phase
By Lisa Neff
A multimillion-dollar initiative to light up Manatee is 70% complete, with 2,455 streetlights installed over the past three years.
Manatee County staff briefed commissioners on the status of Light Up Manatee during a meeting Sept. 1, reviewing the project objectives, the work to date and potential future locations if additional funding becomes available.
“The overall goal is reducing nighttime crime and crash rates in neighborhoods and thoroughfares,” said Aaron Burkett, traffic operations division manager for the county.
Manatee embarked on the project in August 2023, committing $3 million for the installation of new street lighting.
Construction began in January 2024, with a focus on thoroughfares and neighborhoods in Districts 2, 3 and 4.
For neighborhoods, the county established design parameters that included focusing on cul-de-sacs and intersections, standardized spacing and a standard concrete pole with a 5,000-lumen fixture, with shields are available upon request.
The county initially budgeted $3 million for the program and has spent about $3.1 million, according to Burkett.
Of 3,531 installations projected, 2,455 were completed as of Aug. 6. Burkett noted that construction has continued since figures were compiled.
“We’re nearing the end, the last quarter of construction,” he said of the work done in collaboration with Florida Power & Light.
District 4 about 82% complete, with 850 of 1,038 lighting installations done. Thoroughfare work is 100% complete, with 375 new lights in place.
“When we started this project, Manatee County was about 90% no lighting, and now we’ve just dramatically changed neighborhoods,” Commissioner Mike Rahn of District 4 said. “We’ve dramatically changed thoroughfares and … had a positive effect on people’s lives, with lighting up their neighborhoods and making them feel safer and more secure.”
He added, “I’ve talked to the sheriff’s department about this. They do appreciate the lighting. So do the fire districts, our EMS and our EMTs. When they go in lighted-up areas, now it’s a lot easier for them to maneuver, and it’s a lot easier for them to feel safer.”
In District 2, more than 1,200 lights are projected. About 65% of neighborhood work is finished and the thoroughfares nearly halfway complete.
“We’ve got a couple of big projects on Ninth Street West and 51st Avenue West that are still in the design phase,” Burkett said. “Those two projects alone carry over 300 lights.”
Commissioner Amanda Ballard represents District 2. She described Light Up Manatee as “immensely well received.”
“I just have people in certain neighborhoods who are like, ‘When is it coming? We need the lighting,’” she said.
In District 3, more than 1,000 lights are projected. Burkett said the district was about three-quarters complete, with neighborhood work 71% complete and thoroughfare work nearly complete.
“We’re getting there,” he said.
Looking ahead, county staff identified hundreds of other possible installations, including 500 in District 4, 260 in District 2 and added locations in District 3.
Commissioners, during the meeting, discussed whether neighborhoods should have more flexibility in selecting lighting fixtures.
Burkett said the county selected a standard fixture for cost, uniformity and performance, while more decorative fixtures are available from FPL at higher costs.
On the web To check out the Light Up Manatee website, go to https://light-up-manatee-manateegis.hub.arcgis.com/
