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Listen: 11 million bucks or the Bay Bridge lights go dark

For 10 years, the Bay Bridge has sparkled with a light installation designed by artist Leo Villareal. But with city funds drying up, it could go dark forever

Photo of Fifth & Mission Podcast
Fifth & Mission Podcast
The Bay Bridge on Thursday, January 5, 2023, in San Francisco, Calif. The beloved Bay Lights -- the giant LED light show on the Bay Bridge -- are old and decrepit and have grown too expensive to repair. They'll come down in March, but Ben Davis, founder, president and CEO, Illuminate, has a plan to make them bigger and better. He's raising $10 million in hopes of having twice as many lights, of better quality and viewable to twice as many people, up by Labor Day weekend.
Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle
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For 10 years, the Bay Bridge has sparkled with a light installation designed by artist Leo Villareal. But the display costs millions to maintain and, with city funds drying up, could go dark forever .

On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, columnist and Total SF podcast host Heather Knight and urban design critic John King join host Cecilia Lei to argue their cases for — and against — a fund-raising campaign to preserve the Bay Lights.

Photo above: Leo Villareal's LED installation is seen on the Bay Bridge.

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