IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY'S SAFTEY

Do you feel that the street lighting in Summit needs to be improved?  Well so do we! Our names are Sarah, Grace, and Emily, and we are Summit eighth graders who are trying to pass a new ordinance for the town that improves street lighting.  We propose that there must be a street lamp every fifteen feet on all major roads, and twenty-five feet on all minor roads. Each lamp must be supplied with an LED bulb and these bulbs must be checked by a city official to insure they’re still working every six months.  

Acoording to crime statistics from City-data.com Summit has a very high crime rate compared to surrounding towns such as Berkly Heights, Chatam, and Mountainside.  These town’s crime rates are less than half the size of Summit’s! How do experts deal with criminal problems like these? They make sure people can see what’s happening outside at night by installing more lights.  

Furthermore, our proposed ordinance will improve safety when driving at night and prevent accidents such as the tragic event two years ago.  Cynthia Pelham-Webb was attempting to cross in front of the Summit train station when she was hit by a car.  Maybe if the lighting in that area had been satisfactory the accident would never have occurred.

We can find another fault in the lighting of Summit; not with the amount of lamps, but the quality of the bulbs inside.  To replace the current lights with LEDs would be a beneficial decision for many.  First, the LED bulbs are environmentally friendly, making Summit a cleaner place to live.  Secondly, the new lights give off a brighter, and longer lasting glow than the existing.  Finally, and most importantly we come to the cost of operation.  The cost of new LED lights would be offset in less than a year because the price is much less to operate.  Overtime this means less of your tax-payer money going to light bulbs and more to programs that really matter such as education, and infrastructure.

    We hope to solve this problem soon to improve the living conditions for the residents of Summit, and maybe even save a life.

Thank you!

Sincerely,  Grace, Sarah, and Emily