Village part of county program to light bus stops

This bus stop pole at Main Street and Moore Avenue in Mount Kisco is one of three new solar-powered units affixed to the top of bus stop poles in the village and one of 14 in Westchester County as part of a pilot program. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO

By MARTIN WILBUR

If you’re waiting for a bus in a couple of locations in Mount Kisco, you may have seen something different in recent weeks.

Westchester County is experimenting with solar-powered lights at 14 bus stops around the county, including three in the village — both sides of the street on East Main Street and Moore Avenue, about a block from Northern Westchester Hospital, and near North Bedford Road and Preston Way. Both locations are part of Bee-Line bus Route 19.

Michael Swee, the county’s director of surface transportation, and Westchester’s Energy Conservation and Sustainability Director Peter McCartt explained that the pilot program was started last month primarily to increase safety for commuters during nighttime hours at minimal cost. Each unit contains a small solar panel affixed to the top of the bus stop pole at an expense of about $1,400 to hook up, according to the county.

McCartt said the bus stops selected for the trial run are at high-use locations to help keep people safe. Rather than searching for a source of electricity and the need for permits and permission from property owners, the technology allows the county to move forward in a far less intrusive manner. 

“In short, solar bus shelter lighting reduces up front and infrastructure costs, eliminates ongoing utility expenses, improves safety and provides long-term budget stability,” McCartt said. “It aligns fiscal responsibility with sustainability, and once again, positions our county for modern, resilient infrastructure.”

Swee explained that the units absorb sunlight during the day, and as darkness approaches, they turn on automatically to light the bus stop. The fact that it’s winter with extreme cold and snow this year and limited daylight will test whether the units work under the worst conditions, he said. Each unit has a lifespan of about 50,000 hours.

“Based on their performance, we’ll decide how to move forward, accordingly,” Swee said.

The Department of Public Works and the county’s transportation officials will evaluate their performance and will help decide whether to put money into next year’s budget to expand installation, a county spokesman said.

Five other communities are also receiving at least one of the solar-powered units, including Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, Ardsley, Bronxville and Elmsford.