Riverwalk Christmas Lights

[Sigaven]

As everyone knows, this year for the first time the riverwalk is being lit up by LED christmas lights. But from photographs I've seen, they wrap around the tree trunks this time instead of dangling from the branches. Do they still hang from the branches like they've always done? I've always thought that it was so pretty how they did that, and I'll be disappointed if they don't do that anymore.

[SAguy]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

As everyone knows, this year for the first time the riverwalk is being lit up by LED christmas lights. But from photographs I've seen, they wrap around the tree trunks this time instead of dangling from the branches. Do they still hang from the branches like they've always done? I've always thought that it was so pretty how they did that, and I'll be disappointed if they don't do that anymore.

They don't but the Christmas lights wrapped around the trees on the Riverwalk still look amazing.

[sirkingwilliam]

I think they should change the color to all white instead of the color scheme they have now. Too dark imo.

[necropolis]

The lights don't look bad, but imo they don't compare to before. They do look nice from river level but from street or overhead level they definitely lose that charm. I agree that it makes it look kinda dark especially when not walking along the Riverwalk. It almost makes it seem like when there were many times less lights that the Riverwalk looked brighter and more whimsical/Christmas-like.

[ydoc14]

yeah I was going to post about this last night...they don't hang down off the tree branches anymore...i haven't seen them from river level yet...but they create an almost surreal sci-fi effect imo

[kingkirbythe....]

Anyone have pictures of the new lights?

[necropolis]

Here are a couple of photos from Flickr

Both Taken by: BrianMoranHDR

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmoranhdr/6428523971/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianmoranhdr/6413427021/

Was having issues re-posting them directly; they weren't showing up so I posted the links to them

[necropolis]

And here's a segment that KSAT12 did when the city previewed the lights to the media in mid-November.

C/O KSAT12

http://www.ksat.com/news/Holiday-lig...g/-/index.html

[sirkingwilliam]

Minor adjustments should be made to the lights imo. Change the color of the lights to a brighter hue. Use LED C7 lights and hang them from the trees.

[Sigaven]

Seeing those photos it looks like they just don't twinkle off the river like they used to. I also prefer the warm glow of incandescent to the icy glow of LED.

[Lando]

The new lights just aren't the same anymore. They're still nice but I would prefer if they had left them alone. Oh well. Change is inevitable.

[max7]

Actually, when making LED lights, there are less colors available to choose from, but there are used in everything from computers to car lights. I have counted 3 colors in lights used on the Riverwalk lights: red, green, and blue. However, they save on energy, and instead of just hanging like the "other" Christmas lights, these lights are able to be more concentrated in one area because they are smaller. So that is probably why they have decided to wrap them around the tree trucks instead. I have seen them and have given them a thumbs up. In addition, the tree trucks make excellent mirror images on the reflection of the river's water. It's time to start snapping those photographs!!!

[Boquillas]

Originally Posted by max7

Actually, when making LED lights, there are less colors available to choose from, but there are used in everything from computers to car lights. I have counted 3 colors in lights used on the Riverwalk lights: red, green, and blue. However, they save on energy, and instead of just hanging like the "other" Christmas lights, these lights are able to be more concentrated in one area because they are smaller. So that is probably why they have decided to wrap them around the tree trucks instead. I have seen them and have given them a thumbs up. In addition, the tree trucks make excellent mirror images on the reflection of the river's water. It's time to start snapping those photographs!!!

LED lights aren't colored-- the plastic around them is, just like incandescent bulbs. LEDs can be any color.

[max7]

Yes, supposedly one of our own local artists, Bill Fitzgibbons, designed the entire Riverwalk Christmas lights for an estimated $580,000 according to San Antonio Magazine. Personally, I support our local artists, and I also think it was worth it. I think the lights will pay for themselves through a significantly lower light bill. Awesome, Bill Fitzgibbons, and Merry Christmas San Antonio!!!

San Antonio Magazine:
http://www.sanantoniomag.com/SAM/Dec.../Twinkle-Time/

[necropolis]

[/B] I think the lights will pay for themselves through a significantly lower light bill. [B]


Well, according to an article by the Express News, savings would amount to $3,000 a year in electric costs.

However, the total cost for the old lights (I assume paying to hang them, remove/replace them, etc) amounted to $75,000 a year.

The new lights come with a start-up cost of $580,000 followed by annual costs of $114,000 in 2012 and $141,000 in 2013.

So in terms of dollar amounts, the new lights are far more expensive to maintain and hang compared to the old lights even though they do save $3,000 in energy costs.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtow...e-in-proposal/

[max7]

Necropolis, we are talking about 85,000 incandescent bulbs vs. 1.76 million multilcolored LEDS on the Riverwalk. That means much more of the Riverwalk is being lighted. So more lights means more money also.

In addition, on the link you posted it says that The Paseo del Rio Association would chip in $25,000 annually and the rest would be funded by the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund, as well as CPS Energy rebates from previous city projects. So having this in mind, it sounds like very little, if any, is coming out of the taxpayers' pockets. Moreover, from the date of the San Antonio blog you gave to us, it sounds like it was a very well thought out project by the city council.

[necropolis]

True, but as costs overall it is still more expensive. Riverwalk improvements and improvements related to tourism in general tend to get funded in part or in whole by the HOT tax anyways. I would assume that previous lighting efforts were also in part funded by the HOT tax.

And from what I can see not much more of the Riverwalk is lit up compared to normal, aside from new lights on the bridges. This meaning the same stretch of the Riverwalk that was lit before is still lit now. The amount of lights reflects the fact that the lights no longer simply hang from tree tops and instead are wrapped from the base to near tops of trees. Obviously such an approach requires more lights, and even more when considering LED's are typically smaller in size.

I was simply saying before that there is no cost savings. Energy savings yes but no cost savings. Because the Hotel and Occupancy Tax is used instead of General Fund money it does not directly impact us as taxpayers but it does leave less money available for other tourism related spending, such as the money used for the Top Chef TV show for example.

Again I'm also not trying to argue for or against the lights, I personally prefer the old ones but that is just my opinion. I just wanted to compare the costs associated with them.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by max7

Yes, supposedly one of our own local artists, Bill Fitzgibbons, designed the entire Riverwalk Christmas lights for an estimated $580,000 according to San Antonio Magazine. Personally, I support our local artists, and I also think it was worth it. I think the lights will pay for themselves through a significantly lower light bill. Awesome, Bill Fitzgibbons, and Merry Christmas San Antonio!!!

San Antonio Magazine:
http://www.sanantoniomag.com/SAM/Dec.../Twinkle-Time/

Okay, serious question here, why does the city need an artist to "design" the riverwalk lights? It's lights wrapped around trees, like everyone does at home but of course on a larger scale. Where does the "design" come into play?

[max7]

Bill Fitzgibbons, is a highly regarded artist in San Antonio as well as in the world. He is the one responsible for one of my favorites, "Light Channels" which everyone knows here locally as an art commission that he designed in 2006 using the I37 underpass which is near the Commerce and Houston Street exits. He is a master of light, in my opinion, which he used as his medium also in the new "Riverwalk Christmas Lights".

Repertoire of Bill Fitzgibbons:

"Light Channels"
http://www.saculturaltours.com/spot.php?t=3&s=203&p=2

"Daystar Plaza"--San Antonio International Airport

"Riverwalk Christmas Lights"--San Antonio Riverwalk
http://http://www.marketwatch.com/st...son-2011-11-18

Complete List of Bill Fitzgibbons Public Art Commisions:
http://http://billfitzgibbons.com/cv.php

[Sigaven]

I hear they're going back to dangling lights this year. It appears though that they are still those darn LED's. I miss the warm incandescents