County Installs LED Crossing Signs in RVC

If you've taken a stroll through the village's downtown, or driven on some of the main roads, you've probably noticed the new pedestrian crossing signs on village street corners.

The new crossing signs — installed by the county on all its roads in Rockville Centre — are fit with LED bulbs and showcase a countdown to when the light will change.

According to Katie Grilli-Robles, a spokesman for the county, the installation of the new signs is part of an initiative set forth by an agreement between the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Nassau County. The program replaces older equipment with LED lights throughout the entire county, she said, and the entire project will be completed by the end of the year.

The county will save about $1 million in energy costs, she said, in addition to making the streets safer. The total cost of the installation, which is occuring throughout the county, is around $8.7 million. It was funded by the NYPA, Federal ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) money and Nassau County.

The countdown informs pedestrians of how much time they have before the light changes, and some residents like the new change. RVC resident Laura Martingano said she thinks it makes the village roads with heavy traffic safer. "Having it count down like that is great," she said. "You'll never have to guess if you have enough time to cross."