New Hampshire Towns Concerned About Darkened Street Lights

Officials in two New Hampshire seacoast towns are concerned about a state cost-cutting plan to turn off street lights along beach areas.

The Portsmouth Herald reports the Department of Transportation’s statewide list of street lights to be turned off includes dozens of lights in Hampton and Seabrook, mostly concentrated on Ocean Boulevard and the Ocean Boulevard Bridge.

Colin Manning, a spokesman for Gov. John Lynch, said the DOT is acting on the Legislature’s budget, which Lynch allowed to become law without his signature. Manning said directives were issued to make budget cuts and the DOT had to find ways to work within that budget.

DOT spokesman Bill Boynton says each town has the option to take over the cost of maintaining the lights.