Street Lighting Policy

[patric]

Here's an example of what a city is doing to make their street lighting system work to their advantage:

http://www.ottawastreetlighting.ca/

...and some rationalle on their policy:
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/06-26/AC2007-PTE-POL-0032%20ENGLISH.htm

Contrast this to our current method of letting the electric utility "suggest" how it should be done.

[PonderInc]

This is a great idea: educate, invite public comment, and make recommendations for an improved lighting strategy.  It's pure common sense no matter which way you look at it: improved vision and public safety, lower energy costs, better for the environment, more attractive city....

This discussion should absolutely take place as Tulsa moves forward to update the comprehensive plan.  I think TulsaNow could help sponsor and promote such a discussion.  It's not glamorous, but lighting affects everyone.  Many older people can't drive at night because the glare causes vision problems.  Reducing glare also improves safety.  And people who live adjacent to commercial districts, parking lots, schools, etc shouldn't need blackout curtains to sleep at night.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by patric

Here's an example of what a city is doing to make their street lighting system work to their advantage:

http://www.ottawastreetlighting.ca/

...and some rationalle on their policy:
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/pec/2007/06-26/AC2007-PTE-POL-0032%20ENGLISH.htm

Contrast this to our current method of letting the electric utility "suggest" how it should be done.

Patric, I know you are our resident "lighting expert".  What is your background on it?  Lighting engineer, work for a utility, or just annoyed by by it?

Not being snarky at all, just curious about your backstory without you getting too specific.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

Patric, I know you are our resident "lighting expert".  What is your background on it?  Lighting engineer, work for a utility, or just annoyed by by it?

I worked on "The Postman" for Warner Brothers in Tucson, AZ in 1996, and couldnt get over how 'different' their streets seemed to look at night.

It's a Tulsa-sized town, with all the streets lit, but I could see with much greater clarity, for blocks and blocks.  It didnt dawn on me how that was until I asked, and was told that "they do something with the lights".
I did some reading, which led to some more reading, which led to a lot of in-depth research and dialog with outdoor lighting reform advocates all over the world.

When I was determined to bring Tucson's "secret" to Tulsa, I found our limitations werent technical, but political.
One of the posters here has a 'sig' to the effect that "it takes a lot of money to look this trashy" and this could not be more true than when describing our city's streetlighting mess.

No utility connections, no sales ties, no engineering sheepskin.  Just someone who would like to make a meaningful investment in his community.

Patric (will research ordinances for food)[8D]

[Conan71]

Thanks for the explaination.  I knew you had a strong interest in it and wasn't sure why that was.  Movie biz, eh?

Cool

[PonderInc]

Just ran across a quote from a lighting industry website...

"Tip: Try intalling metal halide lights to help deter people from loitering on or around your school campus."

I thought it was ironic b/c DTU chose this sort of light for downtown, and it HAS effectively killed the "warm and welcoming" feel of the streets where they've been installed. (Compare Cherry Street to any street downtown with the new acorn lights....) I would think that the goal would be to attract people downtown with warm and effective lighting...not to repel them with "prison yard security" lighting.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Just ran across a quote from a lighting industry website...

"Tip: Try intalling metal halide lights to help deter people from loitering on or around your school campus."

That translates to "Buy our products until you have enough to satisfy your unrealistic expectations".
Interesting how the lighting industry can say that the same lights can both attract people and repel them, depending on what you need to believe.  High-tech Snake Oil.

School systems around the country are finding the way to deter loitering and vandalism is to not provide lighted gathering spots for kids at night.  "Dark Campus" programs rely on the presence of light where it doesnt belong to draw attention to potential troubles:  Headlights where they shouldnt be, people using flashlights or motion detector lights being tripped attract the eyes of neighbors and police more effectively than all-night lighting that people shut out with curtains and blinds.

The money-saving potential to this should be apparent, but Tulsa Public Schools isnt hip to it because they're in another form of dark.
 

quote:I thought it was ironic b/c DTU chose this sort of light for downtown, and it HAS effectively killed the "warm and welcoming" feel of the streets where they've been installed. (Compare Cherry Street to any street downtown with the new acorn lights....) I would think that the goal would be to attract people downtown with warm and effective lighting...not to repel them with "prison yard security" lighting.

As I said earlier, most of the people who specify this type of lighting are not the ones who will be utilizing it, or for that matter, even be around when they're on.

If someone can look at a cold, garish blue light like Metal Halide and believe the industry hogwash about it being "white" light, they dont have much confidence in their own Vision.

[patric]

I know we will never see the skies around Tulsa like this, but here's an example of what a half century of thoughtful street lighting can bring, courtesy of NASA...

Yesterday marked the 50 year anniversary of the first lighting ordinance ever enacted, which restricted searchlight advertisements from sweeping the night skies above Flagstaff, Arizona.
The image below, pointing just east of north, was taken two weeks ago at 3 am from Fort Valley, only 10 kilometers from central Flagstaff. Visible in the above spectacular panorama are the San Francisco Peaks caped by a lenticular cloud. Far in the distance, the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy arcs diagonally from the lower left to the upper right, highlighted by the constellations of Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cygnus. On the far right, the North America Nebula is visible just under the very bright star Deneb.