From all indications, this change in visual character has helped put State Street on the road to economic recovery. In some areas, crime had become such a problem that people feared for their safety and avoided venturing out after dark. In an effort to rejuvenate the downtown, the city launched a massive capital improvement and street lighting project that is being completed in several phases. Phase I involved installing street lighting in the Center City area, which had not been lighted previously. Fixtures were mounted on painted dark blue cast iron poles.
Lamps are high-pressure sodium to provide a softer light.
Not only are the results highly visible, but the system makes a lasting impact on the area where it is installed. Based on the success of Phase I, several other phases have been funded. In Newark, Ohio, a city of 45,000, historic-looking fixtures illuminate the high traffic walkways and stairs to the county's sandstone courthouse. A total of 20 fixtures light the stone steps on each side of the structure, with 12 units installed along the Square's perimeter. A double unit is mounted on each of the four walkways that lead from the Courthouse to the street.