State College officials plan to install lighting fixtures at 20 locations west of Atherton Street within the next few months.

On Thursday, the State College Planning Commission reviewed plans that would place lights along a section of Calder Way west of Atherton Street, known as the Urban Village. Other locations include Clay Lane and the alleys that intersect it, such as Sparks Street, Wood Alley, Harley Alley, Railroad Avenue and Orange Alley, Borough Planning Director Carl Hess said.

"Well-lighted streets are safer because people feel safer on them, so they go outside, and more people on the streets means less crime," Hess said.

Hess said officials walked through Urban Village with members of the Off-Campus Student Union and identified several locations where lighting was poor.

"The Urban Village is the only area that hasn't had a walk-through and hasn't had the attention for lighting like other areas have," Ryan Bennington, Off-Campus Student Union president, said.

Borough Manager Tom Fountaine must still approve the locations, Hess said. However, the State College Borough Council does not need to approve the fixtures because of the relatively low cost and predicted ease of installation, he said.

The borough has an amount of money built into the budget for such installations and leaves the decision to the public works department, said Mark Whitfield, public works director.

Total cost for the 20 telephone pole-lighting fixtures will be around $1,000, with an additional cost of $9 a month per light, Whitfield said.

Allegheny Power will likely begin installation within the next two weeks and install two or three lights a day, he added.

Using information compiled by the State College Police Department, the planning commission reviewed maps of the relationship between criminal activity and lighting fixtures in off-campus State College.

The maps will be used in anticipation of creating a lighting policy that would be recommended by the commission to Borough Council. The guide will aid in determining what types of lights should be installed in what areas, Hess said.

The maps revealed reported crimes were most prominent in the downtown area in increasing frequency as the night progressed. The number of incidents of criminal mischief, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct were especially high downtown.

West College Avenue and Sparks Street are particular areas of concern, commission member Charles Gable said.

"You can't see the face of the person approaching you in the darkness, and that's a little unnerving," Gable said.

Hess said the amount of criminal activity downtown is not unexpected because of the high population and activity centers.

"Downtown is clearly the area with the most light fixtures and also the most crime," he added.

In terms of public safety, commission member Bill Ryan said, it makes sense to create well-lighted avenues for people to walk home, and streets like Garner, Allen and Sparks could all use more lighting.

Hess added it is important that Locust Lane be well lighted because it feeds to the fraternity houses, connects to the HUB-Robeson Center and has a large amount of foot traffic from Penn Towers, 255 E. Beaver Ave.

Factors such as cost, environmental impact, uniformity, safety and beautification will be considered when discussing lighting fixtures, commission Vice Chairman Ron Madrid said.

A subcommittee was created to further review the maps and to make a recommendation to Borough Council concerning any new lights that should be installed.

"I would hope that council would try very hard to accommodate the stakeholders in the Urban Village," Borough Council President Cathy Dauler said. "One can only hope that a recommendation would be passed by the council."

Dauler said one of the reasons council members might oppose more lighting would be the high cost to the borough.