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Chandler/Tempe Edition
INSIDE
This Week
NEWS ........................ 3 Mesa Council poised to tighten recycling rules.
COMMUNITY ........ 12 Ladies of Las Sendas slate female vendor shop.
BUSINESS ................ 14 Northrup Grumann opens new Chandler complex.
OPINION ..................16 Columnist opines on the dirtiest word.
FOOD ....................... 24 You’ll love these chewy morsels to pieces.
COMMUNITY ............... 12 BUSINESS ...................... 14 OPINION ....................... 16 SPORTS ......................... 18 GETOUT.........................22 CLASSIFIED.................... 27
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Darker skies on horizon for parts of Mesa BY JIM WALSH Tribune Staff Writer
S
ome Mesa neighborhoods may one day get a better view of the stars as the city converts some 34,000 sodium vapor street lights to more advanced LED lights. Of�icials plan to create more lighting options with four lighting zones that vary from so-called “dark sky’’ conditions in northeast Mesa to plenty of brightness in busier areas. The conversion won’t happen overnight. But it eventually will allow of�icials to dim the lights anywhere from as little as 25 percent of maximum capacity in Desert Uplands and Lehi to 45 percent in downtown and other areas with more vehicle and pedestrian traf�ic. Using city crews to save money, the conversion will take about seven years. If the City Council approves the full plan Dec. 2, the cost would be close to $17 million with the dimming option. The plan would replicate and expand the lighting conditions that existed during a four-
Big issues loom with driverless cars, experts say
week pilot program in Lehi, Desert Uplands, and on Fraser Drive in central Mesa. “I know there are a lot of residents of Desert Uplands that are passionate about lighting. I think these are great recommendations,’’ Councilman Dave Luna said. He said many people in northeast Mesa would prefer no lights, but some are needed along major streets for public safety. “They don’t like light pollution. They like to look up in the sky. They like the desert feel,’’ Luna said. Luna said that Transportation Director R.J Zeder has carefully drafted an ordinance to address the needs of radically different sections for the city. The new system will provide a lot of �lexibility – but won’t resemble the kind of citywide dark sky ordinances that places like Flagstaff and Sedona have adopted to reduce light pollution. “You might call it a darker skies ordinance in some places, but it’s not a dark skies ordinance,’’ Zeder said. “Different parts of Mesa
have different characteristics.’’ Vice Mayor Mark Freeman, who represents Lehi, agreed and Mayor John Giles also said he supports the proposal. “Some people like the light and others do not,’’ Freeman said. “I like the ability to dim.’’ Zeder said the plan started as a necessary effort to replace sodium vapor lights, which have a somewhat yellowish hue because they are getting phased out by LED technology. The next step was developing a master plan that leverages LED technology effectively. “This is all about pedestrian and motorist safety,’’ Zeder said. In the latest part of an extensive infrastructure-modernization campaign, Crews would change out 4,850 �ixtures per year. The level of lighting on most major roads would be reduced to 45 percent of maximum power and down to 25 percent late at night in less busy areas of northeast Mesa and Lehi. In Lighting Zone One, Desert Uplands and Lehi, lights on arterial streets would be
Revving up Bondurant school
��� LIGHTS ���� 7
BY KEVIN REAGAN Tribune Staff Writer
W
ho is liable for a car accident when no one’s driving the car? That was one of several questions explored by experts in Arizona’s autonomous vehicle industry during a special symposium last Thursday as representatives from public and private sectors hashed out what the near future looks like for driverless cars. As more self-driving cars move around the East Valley, stakeholders and policymakers gathered in Chandler to discuss how Arizona will adapt to the rapidly-developing technology. “A lot of work needs to be done,” said Jill Sci��� WAYMO ���� 11
Franki Buckman is supercharging the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving more than a year after it almost tanked in bankruptcy court. For details, see page 8. (Chris Mortenson/Staff Photographer)