Harlingen park visitors will soon feel safer after sunset.

The city approved a project to install new lighting at City Lake Park.

Mark Lara has lived in Harlingen his entire life and has used City Lake Park almost every day to exercise.

But he normally visits when the sun is still out.

"When it's really dark, it's kind of scary to be around here," Lara said.

And he's not the only one.

The city says park visitors have let them know they're concerned about safety because of the lack of lighting.

"We've been receiving a lot of calls for poor lighting here along our walking trail," Harlingen Parks and Recreation Director Danny Diaz said.

A study done by the city's Parks and Recreation Department last month found the current lights were outdated and not strong enough to provide enough light to the trail.

The city commission voted last night to install solar lamps to fix the problem.

"I'm excited about it. I mean, it's something, like I said, that we need to do. I mean, we were here to hear the public and this is what they want, and that's what we're going to do," Diaz said.

Approximately $50,000 will be used from the city's general funds to install 24 lights along the park's trail.

For park visitors like Lara, it's an upgrade that can't come soon enough, allowing him to enjoy the park anytime.

"Definitely, if there are solar panels, I would probably definitely come over here and jog at night," Lara said.

City officials say now that the project has been approved, they plan to start immediately. They expect the project to be done as early as mid-January.

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