Could repainting the streets help cool down Phoenix?

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Everyone wants to beat the heat when summer comes to the Valley, and the streets can be especially brutal, especially with the sun soaking into the pavement, which helps to create a "Heat Island" effect.

People are used to seeing black asphalt on paved roads, but what if, instead of black, the streets were a different color? It's something Los Angeles is experimenting with, by paving some of their streets white, but would it work for the Valley?

As it turns out, Phoenix has experimented with pavements of a different color. A parking lot on the corner of25th Street and Washington is painted a bright greenish-blue. According to City of Phoenix officials, it was done as an experiment by a private company several years ago.

According to Science magazine, the coating LA used, which was originally designed by the military to keep spy planes cool and hide them from infrared cameras, could keep an area up to 5.55°C (41.99°F) cooler, when applied.

City of Phoenix officials, however, doubt it's the best solution for the Valley.

"What we are looking for is impact on temperature," said Dan Cleavenger. "At surface some other concerns skid resistance important cars can stop maintenance if you need to dig we need to seal that again."

The City of Phoenix is not planning to repaint the streets. but they are always on the lookout for any technologies that can make life a little more bearable, when it gets super-hot. One thing the city is trying to do to beat the heat is plant trees, with a goal of providing a leafy canopy over the city.