DTOP, Bayamón agree to expand solar traffic light system
By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia announced on Thursday the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its Spanish acronym) and the municipality of Bayamón to standardize and modernize the infrastructure for traffic lights to a solar-powered one.
For those purposes, DTOP will transfer $1,343,101 to the municipality.
“The municipality of Bayamón has been a pioneer in developing and implementing, through a pilot program, solar traffic light systems on the island,” the governor said. “Initiatives like these must be supported and must be expanded throughout Puerto Rico. In this administration, we not only believe in and promote the use of renewable energy systems, but we also take strong actions to promote it.”
Pierluisi’s government, through the Energy Support program, has to date subsidized 888 companies with the installation of renewable energy systems, solar energy and batteries, and charging stations for electric vehicles.
DTOP Secretary Eileen Vélez Vega said “road safety is our job, and in particular, the traffic lights at intersections with large vehicular movement represent safety for all drivers.”
“With this innovative project in Bayamón, we can see its importance and how it serves as an example to replicate it in all the municipalities of the island,” she said. “The implementation of solar systems like these allows us to keep the traffic lights energized when there is an interruption in the electrical service or variations in voltage; it is certainly something important that we must replicate. At the DTOP we will continue to invest in converting the traffic light infrastructure into a more resilient one throughout the island.”
The agreement with the municipality of Bayamón is part of the first phase of the work and others will soon begin at 41 intersections in areas with a high incidence of accidents. The document signed between the DTOP secretary and the mayor establishes that the municipality will install solar systems at the intersections of the following 28 state highways:
PR-2 and PR-167, PR-167 and PR-29, PR-167 and PR-22, PR-167 and Plaza del Parque (Sam’s)
PR-29 and Degetau Street (La Cambija), PR-2 and Betances Avenue, PR-2 and Bobby Capó Avenue PR-8855, PR-5 and Bobby Capó Avenue PR-8855, PR-167 and PR-168 , PR-2 and PR-866 (Costco), PR-167 and PR-199, PR-199 and Caridad del Cobre Avenue, PR-199 and PR-840, PR-2 and Alejandro Ruiz Soler Street, PR-29 and Gilberto Concepción Avenue, PR-177 and Los Filtros Avenue, PR-177 and PR-889 (Costco), PR-177 and PR-174, PR-199 and 18th Street Royal Town, PR-174 and Nogal Avenue, PR-174 and Tnte Nelson Martínez Avenue, PR-167 and 15th Street Forest Hills, PR-167 and Magnolia Avenue, PR-167 and PR-174 (Plaza Tropical), PR-167 and 1st Street Victory, PR-167 and PR-830, PR-167 and Río Bayamón Street (Batteries +), and PR-2 and PR-29.
Bayamón Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Jr. noted that “we appreciate the visit of Governor Pedro Pierluisi, which has allowed us to discuss the development of important projects for our city, such as the extension of the PR-5 Expressway, the repair work that will allow the reopening of highways PR-6 and PR-831, and the authorization by the governor for the DTOP to assign us additional funds to extend our solar traffic light system pilot project to other intersections, which has turned out to be very successful.”
“Similarly, we appreciate the incentives that the governor provided today to help care centers and small businesses in Bayamón,” the mayor added.