Published on November 19, 2020
Dear City Colleagues,
Syracuse’s drive to be one of the nation’s leading “Smart Cities” is making headlines again. Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced the conversion of our City’s street light network to smart, energy-efficient LED technology is complete. Neighborhoods all across the City now benefit from better quality street lighting that saves the City money. The lights are also outfitted with controls for new features like dimming and metering that will improve our ability to monitor and maintain the system.
The conversion is also a major milestone for the Syracuse Surge, our strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy. The progress would not be possible without the Common Council’s early support for acquisition of the City’s street light network. The New York Power Authority, which named Syracuse New York’s Flagship Smart City and provided us with a $500,000 smart cities grant, has also been an critical partner. Most important, though, departments and people across City government have worked tirelessly to continue progress on the street light conversion even during the pandemic. I appreciate all of your efforts.
I’m also pleased to let you know of another sign the strategy is working. StateTech Magazine, which covers information technology in government, announced earlier this week that Syracuse has been named to its list of Eight Smart Cities to Watch in the United States. You can read more about the ranking at syrgov.net/employees. It’s the right place to be noticed as the world works its way through the pandemic. Thank you.
Ben Walsh Mayor