One colonia near Edinburg used to be in the dark, but new streetlights are helping to light the area. 

New streetlights are up in the San Clemente Colonia. For families who live there, it's more than just a brighter view.

"We can see them, now, without being scared someone is going to run them over," resident Roxanna Menchaca said.

Menchaca says she and her family now feel safer.

"It was a bit scary, just to live around here and not knowing our street, or like knowing that cars could drive really fast, and then I live close to one of the corners and remember telling my mom, the kids, they go to school like at 6 a.m. and it's dark outside," Menchaca said.

The streetlights are a result of the colonia's push for change. They took their concerns to LUPE, who advised them to gather signatures from the neighborhood.

After getting the necessary amount, they took their petition to Hidalgo County Precinct 4. 

Commissioner Ellie Torres says this process was needed because this subdivision was developed prior to 2018, when developers were not required to provide public lighting.

"It wasn't a requirement to have these streetlights. So now, as a county, we as a county, we have to go back and play catch up with all these communities. It's a partnership, the residents have to agree to pay for the bill, and we will pay for the installation, the engineering and the operatizes," Torres said.

The streetlights were installed a few weeks ago. The county paid nearly $19,000 for the installation. Each household will have to pay between $20 and $30 per year, for the streetlights.

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