CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A new program in Camden is providing regular street light maintenance to ensure public safety.
The project, partnered with PSE&G and the nonprofit Hopeworks, maps out neighborhoods to identify broken lights that need repairs.
Dan Krause, Hopeworks business development director, helped lead the effort, creating a mobile app for residents to report outages. The nonprofit — which helps young adults transition into long-term living wage careers — hired a team of young people from the area to check on the lights in the Whitman Park neighborhood.
“We’re not reporting this data in hoping it’s getting fixed in a week or a month or a year,” he said. “This data is real-time, updated continuously, so it can be fixed instantly and we can keep the lights on here in Camden.”
The reports are sent to the city and PSE&G right away. Repairs are typically done within three days.
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Mayor Vic Carstarphen said the project has been very successful, with 250 new LED lights installed in Whitman Park since the project’s soft launch in the fall. He said the program will keep expanding to new neighborhoods.
The project first came to light after a resident complained about a broken street light. Carstarphen said people should feel safe and secure in and near their homes, and keeping it bright at night is one of the best ways to do that.
“I feel our Camden residents deserve better, and therefore this is and will remain a top priority,” he said.