Seaside Heights Boardwalk to Get New, Brighter Lights for 2025; Streetlights Being Replaced

An empty Seaside Heights boardwalk, March 2020. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The Seaside Heights boardwalk will feature newer, more aesthetically pleasing and brighter lights next summer, officials said, thanks to a project approved Wednesday by the borough council.

“All of those old, brown lights that have been there for a long time are going to be replaced by stainless steel lights with LEDs,” said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz.

The borough’s boardwalk lighting currently consists of dark-colored stanchions with dual incandescent lights on top. In some cases, officials said, the lights have faded over the years, and incandescent lights also require more frequent bulb replacements. The old-style lighting also draws more energy. As Seaside Heights operates its own electric utility, both boardwalk lights and streetlights are owned by the town itself rather than a private energy company, as in most municipalities.

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The borough council on Wednesday approved a $500,000 contract for the replacement of all of the boardwalk lights. The cost of the new lights is “fully funded,” Vaz said, as part of the $4,795,362 boardwalk preservation grant provided to the borough by the state.

The location of a planned viewing platform on the Seaside Heights boardwalk. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Sample designs of LED outdoor public light structures. (Photos: Manufacturer)

The boardwalk lights are not the only lights that are undergoing replacement, however. Responding to a question from a resident, Vaz said borough utility staff have already replaced several streetlights as part of an ongoing effort to convert streetlights to more efficient – and brighter – LED units.

“We have been replacing lights on Central Avenue and Ocean Terrace,” Vaz said. “If you drive there at night, it’s much brighter there because of the LEDs.”

The lights are already drawing praise as compared to the previous incandescent bulbs.

“They did Ocean Terrace and it looks wonderful,” said Councilman Harry Smith. “It is very bright.”

Resident Richard Sasso asked the council to investigate the possibility of prioritizing lighting near Bay Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue, where residents of a number of rental properties have reported lights that have begun to dim with age. Vaz said he would task staff with investigating that area within the week.