
In the Know: Identifying tips and practices for a more sustainable future
Scottsdale cell sites create extra revenue of $1.2 million – and improve the scenery with talking cacti?
In Scottsdale, Arizona, leasing the city’s streetlights and traffic signals to cell providers creates $1.2 million in revenue for their general fund. Using existing infrastructure in many cases, the program also eliminates a great deal of those overbearing cell towers. In some of the City’s right of way areas, the cell capacity is even housed in very convincing looking cactus plants – sitting right next to the real cacti – improving, rather than interrupting, the scenic landscape.
You can find out more by viewing the presentation Ian Hill moderated which features Scottsdale, AZ Principal Traffic Engineer Todd Taylor & Senior Planner Keith Niederer (Sustainability Supporters!) who discuss real life advantages/challenges to this program (http://www.apwa.net/Media/2014/12/11/On-Demand).
(On the right is the cactus look-alike cell “tower” within City of Scottsdale’s right-of-way. Photo courtesy of Keith Niederer, Scottsdale Senior Planner)