As fall moves closer to winter and daylight hours shorten, the Washington University Medical Center is looking brighter thanks to new light fixtures installed on sidewalks throughout the campus.
The lighting project began in the spring to improve inconsistent and low levels of lighting in pedestrian areas of the Medical Center, to improve public safety and to create a consistent architectural look.
In addition, more pan-tilt-zoom closed-circuit surveillance cameras have been installed, and three full-time officers were added to the school’s Protective Services staff.
Phase I of the lighting project, which was completed last month, included installation of 40-foot cobra-head style light fixtures every 100-120 feet on sidewalks along one side of the street, installation of lantern-style lights with planters every 50-60 feet, replacing sidewalks and installing pavers.
The project’s costs were shared by the School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare.
Last spring, Jim Stueber, director of facilities engineering, and Jim Jackson, project engineering manager, used a light meter to measure light in all areas of the Medical Center, including sidewalks, parking lots and garages. They determined that some areas were well lit, but other areas had less-than-optimal light.
The newly installed cobra-head-style light fixtures provide 80 percent of the light on the sidewalks, Stueber said.
To complete the utility work, the sidewalks that were removed to install electrical lines for the new lamps were replaced, and decorative paver sections have been added every 25-30 feet along the sidewalk. The pavers, at a nominal increase in what would have been the cost of reinstalling concrete, provide a distinct and consistent look throughout the campus.
The project also is a continuation of a commitment to a campus style established several years ago when similar lighting and landscaping were installed on the western side of the Medical Center.
The School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare have installed additional closed-circuit cameras throughout the campus. The School of Medicine added six cameras, bringing the total to 31. The number will increase to 34 when the BJC Institute of Health at Washington University is completed in December.
“We took a hard look at the campus and areas we could and couldn’t see well, studied campus maps and came up with the need for additional cameras,” said John Ursch, director of Protective Services. “We now have close to 100 percent coverage of the campus, or as complete a view as we can get.”
The cameras follow a preprogrammed route, but can be manually operated by an officer to look closer at an area of concern, Ursch said. The new lighting also offers better visibility for the cameras.
Ursch said the additional lighting, cameras and additional protective services officers were preventative steps to enhance public safety and the perception of safety and to give the campus a consistent look. Street crime has not been a problem within the Medical Center, but these improvements help ensure that the campus remains safe, inviting and distinctive, Ursch said.
“Our campus is more a collection of buildings in an urban environment,” he said. “The lighting project is a valuable tool identifying its place within the surrounding community.”
With the distinctive and brighter lighting and the sidewalk pavers, the Medical Center is creating a visible identity that defines its boundaries. This identity helps foster an awareness of the areas within the protective services presence of the School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals.
Though the Medical Center is taking these measures to keep students, faculty and staff safe in the community, it is important to remember that personal safety is a shared responsibility. Pedestrians are reminded to be aware of surroundings and to be attentive to potentially risky situations.
Call 362-HELP (4357) to request a personal safety escort or to contact Protective Services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.