New initiative in Manatee County brightening underlit neighborhoods

County Commissioners recently approved using $3 million of American Rescue Plan funds to partner with FPL and Tampa-based Streetleaf to launch the Light Up, Manatee initiative.

District 4 Commissioner Mike Rahn is leading the program.

"FPL went out and did a lighting survey of the entire county, especially the districts that have been somewhat neglected and were high-crime areas," Rahn shared.

Commissioner Rahn said roughly 90% of the communities in the county are dark.

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"We have about 9,000 lights that we need to put up in order to make sure that Manatee County is lit," he said.

The program will span generations. But Commissioner Rahn said the areas that need it the most will be served first, including Lincoln Park, Bayshore Gardens, Woodfield Estates, and Northwest Bradenton.

"It's changing lives already. People are feeling more comfortable in their neighborhoods. They're feeling better about having their kids out at night, a little bit after it gets dark out," he explained.

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FPL will install lights where there's existing infrastructure. Streetleaf will fill in the gaps.

"They're 100% solar and battery-powered, which means they're 100% off the grid, and they can literally be installed anywhere. You don't need any of the upfront infrastructure," said General Manager Liam Ryan.

For more information on Light Up, Manatee, click here.