If you were out trick or treating in Wallingford last night, you may have noticed the bit of extra clarity and sharpness the goblins and ghouls had this year. Over the the past several weeks, the City of Seattle has been installing new LED street lights all over the neighborhood (we got ours Wednesday).
The effort is funded by federal stimulus money, and in addition to addressing environmental concerns (LEDs use 40% less energy and last three times longer than the high-pressure sodium lights that they’re replacing), they also provide a “better” light. According to City Light:
The LED bulbs generate a white light that is comparable to moonlight. This enhances peripheral vision and depth of field, making it easier to see small objects in the road and reducing the color distortion caused by the amber glow of high-pressure sodium lights.
Not everyone is happy about it, though. It’s been a topic of discussion in the Wallyhood Forums for the past several weeks (New Streetlamps), and the reviews are mixed. While Robba said “I like them a bit better than the yellowy light we used to have” and DEPagliaro notes they’re easier on post-PRK surgery eyes (which we can confirm, as well), Lauren felt the the LED lights gave “a much more jarring hue” and ReeveB said “HATE the color…HATE the sharp glare…HATE that it makes everything under it look cold and blue”.
The biggest complaint we’ve heard, though, is that they’re brighter and cast a wider halo, all the way up to houses. Our friends Hoyt and Heidi on Latona have a great front porch for sitting and whiling away the evenings. But last night, when we stood in their doorway and looked out, we were practically blinded by the bright LEDs lighting up the whole front side of their house, a blow to their stoop (and we’re big fans of stoops).
“We can’t sit comfortably and read in our living room without the curtains drawn,” Hoyt said, and added that their second floor office and bedroom are similarly impacted.
So what’s your recourse? LatonaJack left this comment on the Forum thread:
Shields are available for those fixtures to direct the light downward, minimizing light pollution in residential areas, but they cost the utility extra money and will only be installed to complaint. After you complain on the website and if your neighbors agree the new light is a problem, you might help your chances of getting one by sending a letter, signed by all, to SCL customer service suggesting they install one of those shields.
It may also be that the lights can be selectively dimmed. If you want to submit a complaint, visit the Seattle City Light Streetlight Complaint Form on-line. Greg notes you can e-mail them, as well, at [email protected].
tacky
more stimulus funds well spent
Glad I am not the only one who finds these new LED lights unacceptable at their current brightness level. The light blasts into our first and second floor windows and we too have to pull the blinds to counter it. Its ridiculous. And, as noted by another poster, “The color is harsh, grim, commercial, and sorta spooky”. I am all for conservation and a longer lasting lighting solution, but perhaps a little testing and feedback would have benefitted the decision to install them at their current size and brightness level. I too have submitted a complaint form to the city.
Finally here’s teh response I got from the city:
“I am replying to your October 19th email concerning the new LED lights being installed in the Wallingford neighborhood. I forwarded your comments to Seattle City Light (SCL) for consideration. You may also wish to contact Kelly Enright, SCL Customer Care Manager, at 684-3111 or [email protected]. Thank you for writing the Customer Service Bureau.”
I like them. Finally I can walk my dog without areas of darkness along the sidewalks. The color helps with my clean up duties. The old lights would cycle on and off. People rarely called to have them fixed. Sounds like some folks need light shields but that should be easy. The lights will save us money since they use less energy and need much less maintenance
I like the extra light, but sure understand the brightness for those with front porches (we don’t really have one). The increased light is helpful to me.
I’m in Ballard but I came across the Seattle PI article. I’m thrilled i’m not the only one either. I e-mailed them a week ago about this but no reply and I’m not on their “tracker” map. I sent a new e-mail to them via their form. If I don’t see anything on the tracker map by next week I’ll try the e-mail and phone# you guys have up here
Thanks!
Knowing what I knew from being in the Coast Guard and working on navigational lights (small buoys and lighthouses), Seattle City Light could install Fresnel lenses. The lamp could be dimmed and the lenses can focus light in a targeted direction (i.e. the street), rather than into a person’s window.
There’s no pleasing you guys is there? If the lights weren’t replaced, there’d be an equal number of complaints in the opposite direction.
I’m gonna say what my momma always used to say. Somewhere in Africa there’s a poor starving child who has no street lamp to walk around safely with. So be happy with what you got.
And just as a small point – for every complainer there’s generally 10 who don’t give a hoot. So that’s probably why the city doesn’t immediately call you up and personally apologize for intruding on your porch zen.
While driving up to my house tonight I noticed a huge white halo on the street in front of my neighbor’s and my home. I thought that maybe the city was doing some streetwork, but when I got closer I saw it was just the streetlight! I have lived in this house 1.5 years and never even noticed that there was a streetlight in front of my neighbors yard (perhaps it was burned out long ago and my power of observation is not as poor as it seems). How could I not notice the brightest white light right outside my door? Anyway, I thought I was the most unobservant person ever until I got inside, opened my email and saw this post. I can always count on Wallyhood to explain everything.
Having lived on a street with plenty of crime and vandals and speeders… I welcome the bright lights. I just pretend it’s a snowy night. I swear, at first glance from my windows (every night since they were installed), the street looks so white I always think there is snow on the ground. I pretend. I am comforted by the sharper lighting that I hope the brightness will keep crime down. People and incidents are much more visible and identifiable in this sharp, clear light vs. the golden, softer hues. Just pretend it’s snowing. It helps.
I love the new bright light. I can find my way from the car to the house without tapping a cane . And I am hopeful that it will cut down on car prowls. The light is bright enough that I can see my cars from inside the house. Money well spent!
I really like the new lights. It feels much safer to walk around and to drive as well.
It is my understanding that this is a pilot study funded by DOE, so please DO submit your comments. Yes, the LED lights save a huge amount of energy. However, rather than City Light electing to double the brightness and only save half the energy, why not set them for the original old street light brightness level (hopefully they are dimmable) and cut energy use by three quarters?
(actual energy mileage may vary)
I like the new brightness level, and I do have a front porch and a front yard patio. Rather than making everything look “cold and blue”, I find that I can actually see the color of things, unlike with the old HPS lamps that made color differentiation really dificult. Saying goodnight to babysitters is much more comfortable since the LED’s don’t “take breaks” and go out like the old HPS did, leaving really “dark spots” at times. And early morning running feels safer as well, since any hazards in the road are now reliably visible, for the same reason.
I hate these new streetlights. They are way too bright and make my eyes hurt. I now drive with my sunshades down after dark. The new light also makes areas in the shadows much darker because of the contrast (hinders seeing things in the shadows), and the color is ghastly. I don’t think this was money well spent.
I know the perception is that the more brightly lit an area is, the safer it is, but research doesn’t really demonstrate that. Burglars and vandals like to work in bright light too. Many schools no longer light their buildings at night, and this has led to a large drop in graffiti. I’d really like to have the old gas light colored street lights back.
Phooey on the city for experimenting on us.
The lights installed throughout the city are all “unshielded” as opposed to the older fixtures which were almost all “shielded” and therefore “Night Sky” friendly (they do not blind drivers or obscure the stars at night because of “light bounce”).
The older fixtures directed light straight down onto the street surface, so that light rays did not hit your eyes from the 45 degree angle. The new unshielded LED streetlights actually DO NOT direct light downward but at an angle, which incidentally tends to hit you directly in the eyes while driving. Very poor design. If the city is not going to change them, residents should at least demand that full shields be installed.
@lee: I had the same impression. It’s just as if there were snow on the ground. But what when the snow falls now? Even brighter and bluer? I guess we’ll find out.
As a pedestrian walking around I do find it somewhat remarkable what a (mostly positive) difference these new lights make. I don’t like the new bright light streaming into the bedroom though.
I walk my two dogs every night and I appreciate the extra light for safety. Safety first as they say. I appreciate the save on energy too and that they’ll last longer.
We were out of town when these were installed and were a bit surprised upon coming home at 11 PM and seeing how light it was. I love the new lights (and we too have a front porch)–I don’t see any dark areas like I used to, and think in general night walking is much easier–now I can see the sidewalk cracks and other barriers.
@kris – what research are you referring to?
A follow up, this is my 3rd Call to Kelly. She’s been very friendly but Seattle City Light seems quite backed up on work, partially due to that whole “light pols electrocuting people”. Which I totally understand takes priority.
However, on New Years I was up around 22nd and Mercer and noticed a whole bunch of new street lights. EVERY SINGLE ONE had a “shield” on the back of it stopping light from coming into the homeowners yard.
I called Kelly and she said she thinks there are two types of street lights out there. One with the shield one without. She’s looking into swapping my type of streetlight I should hear back this afternoon about it.
As a follow up I’ve been back and forth with another rep “Rose” over the last couple months. With very little success. If anyone has ideas on what I can do to help my light get a shield please let me know.