Client:
Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works
Location:
Los Angeles, California
United States
Equipment:
Solar LED Flashing Beacons
In November 2005, Carmanah was awarded a contract to supply solar-powered school zone flashers for installation 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. L.A County 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.
Choosing solar-powered school zone flashers would also allow L.A County to avoid the installation delays associated with utility permits and/or extensive background “dig alerts.” The result is that roadway safety will be enhanced quickly and cost-effectively for the students of L.A. County.
L.A. 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 flashers 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.
The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works provides maintenance services for many clients within its jurisdiction and has extensive experience with operating both rechargeable battery and solar-powered systems. Transit authorities around Los Angeles have already installed nearly 1,000 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 solar school zone flashers. Other important factors included the technology’s compact, self-contained design, user-friendly calendar programming, overall maintenance-free reliability and vandal resistance.
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