Carmanah to Supply School Zone Flashing Beacons for Los Angeles County

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April 20, 2011
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Carmanah has been awarded a contract to supply Model R829 solar-powered school zone flashing beacons for placement at 31 school locations in Los Angeles County.

Granted under the State of California’s Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program, the total contract award is in the amount of $329,061. This contract is a result of an extensive evaluation of Carmanah’s technology, including a comparison of hard-wired versus solar-powered school zone flashers that concluded Carmanah’s systems could be installed for a significantly lower cost – thus allowing for more units to be installed with the grant funds available for this project.

“Carmanah is pleased to be the technology supplier for this project,” stated Art Aylesworth, Carmanah’s CEO. “Our solar LED school zone beacons will make it possible for the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works to install more beacons while at the same time avoid the installation delays associated with utility permits and/or extensive underground ‘dig alerts’. The result is that roadway safety will be enhanced quickly and cost-effectively for the students of LA County.”

LA County has a history of dedication to enhancing school zone safety. This particular project will supplement existing school clusters with beacons on roadways with speed limits of 35 mph or greater. Carmanah’s solar LED school zone flashing beacons will warn motorists that they are entering a school zone and encourage compliance with the 25 mph speed limit when children are present. The units will operate on a calendar-based schedule that will activate the lights when students are walking to and from school.

Robert Scharf, Senior Civil Engineer with the County of Los Angeles, stated: “We are looking forward to the completion of the project and anticipate years of reliable and trouble-free use of the Carmanah product. We are also looking forward to the positive comments we expect to receive regarding its sleek and small footprint design.”

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works provides maintenance services for many of the cities within its jurisdiction and has extensive experience with operating both rechargeable battery and solar-powered systems. Transit authorities around Los Angles have already installed nearly 1000 units of Carmanah’s solar-powered products. Based on this background, the longevity of Carmanah’s battery system and an inclusive warranty were important considerations when specifying the Company’s R829 solar LED beacons. Other important factors included the technology’s compact, self-contained design, user-friendly calendar programming, overall maintenance-free reliability and vandal-resistance.

The State of California’s SR2S Program was first implemented in October 1999 and was extended for three more years when Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1087 on September 9, 2004. The Program provides revenue to implement pedestrian safety enhancement projects for school children.

The federal version of California’s SR2S Program was passed in July 2005, as the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). This legislation will provide $612 million over 5 years for Safe Routes to School Programs.

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