Hufsa Kamal
WMAL.com

Reston may be getting brighter, according to Fairfax County Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill).

Hudgins recently spoke with residents about the need for more street lights in the Fairfax County suburb. She said some residents have complained about a recent uptick in crime in the area and that better street lighting might help with the situation.

With many people enjoying the benefits of the Silver Line, Hudgins says comfort lighting may be of value to folks. “You want to walk from your home to the stations or to the village centers you might want a little bit more comfort lighting so that it could be convenient and of course people believe that sometimes it’s a safer walk by having the light,” she told WMAL Monday.

However, Reston’s efforts to lighten-up has been receiving significant pushback from an organization called International Dark-Sky Association.

Founded in Tucson, Arizona, the non-profit’s mission is “to preserve and protect the night time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting.”

Jim Dougherty, president of the group, says other ways of light conservation should be considered. “Use conservation methods like dimming after midnight. There are a lot of very sophisticated technologies in the market now that can still achieve all your public safety goals and dramatically reduce the energy that we consume.”

Residents must meet a happy medium Hudgins says. “You don’t have to light up all the skies in order to provide safe and convenient walking. And as the community grows, we want to see the ability for people to take advantage of all the community amenities and have lighting to feel comfortable as you walk.”

Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: Reston Association website)