The new LED street lights that began brightening up Barron Park in the last month have not been too popular. Here are some of the comments that have come in:
“ I was shocked when I went out last night to deposit my refuse containers at the curb for collection. The city has been busy stealthily changing out some of our existing soft white street lamps with daylight LED street lamps that are so bright they almost blind you and are certainly appear capable of impacting the safety of night driving by making the shadows much deeper and much blacker.
“These very bright, very white lamps completely destroy the character and ambience of my neighborhood and diminish it to that of a commercial parking lot. I am frankly dismayed that our City Council would approve of such a tasteless project. I suspect they just never looked at it thoughtfully before giving it a “thumbs up”.
And from another resident:
“I feel like there’s an obnoxious spotlight shining into my bedroom and the entire street is lit up now. The score is: Light pollution 1, Stars 0.
They just don’t seem to jive with our vision of what we want the neighborhood to be…. They don’t fit very well with the rural atmosphere we’ve tried to maintain here. It’s seems a little like my bedroom is now in the middle of a car dealership!”
And from a resident in another neighborhood:
“Have you noticed a change in the light coming into your windows or onto your sidewalks? No, that is not a new moon or the Shuttle but another addition to our neighborhood by the CPA Utilities dept.
“In my area at least CPA has replaced the existing orange colored street lighting with new LED low frequency lights that are very white. They run at a lower frequency and therefore use less energy but have a lighting angle over 170 degrees. In my case at least, that allows them to shine into my windows at night.
“I have asked City Manager Jim Keene to have his group replace the deflectors (partial shades) that we had on the previous lights, but his contact has indicated that they are busy addressing other inputs (complaints) from residents.”
The City’s Utilities Communications Manager sent out this email to explain the street lights:
Following last year’s project using federal stimulus funds to install 600 LED streetlights along El Camino and Alma, the Utilities Department has embarked on a multi-year project to replace all the old streetlights throughout the City. The first few thousand new LED street lights have been installed and people may be noticing!
What’s going on?
CPAU is now in the process of installing LED streetlights throughout Palo Alto. No neighborhood was “singled out” to get the new streetlights, but construction is in stages. It will take several years before we can get streetlights replaced in all neighborhoods. To read more and see a map of which neighborhoods are scheduled when, visit www.cityofpaloalto.org/utilityprojects (Note—This map shows Barron Park getting the LED lights in 2014, so it’s not clear why they are showing up here.
Did the City ever ask the public if they wanted LED streetlights?
Yes, we sure did! Originally, a pilot program was run where LED streetlights were installed in various areas around town and the public was invited to comment on them. (The notice of this pilot and the opportunity for public comment was issued through several articles in the local media, the city website, the Utilities bill messages and on signs posted in the areas where the pilot streetlights were installed). The feedback from the public who responded was generally positive, and, so, with the aid of a federal grant under the stimulus program, the first phase involved installing LED streetlights along Alma and the El Camino Real. The next phase was to start installing the lights in neighborhoods around town.
What are the benefits of LED streetlights?
40% lower electric use than less efficient older high-pressure sodium [HPS] lamps.
Saves ratepayer dollars
Is better for the environment
30% lower maintenance costs because LED lights don’t need to be replaced as often.
Bright direct light increases visibility and discourages illicit activity.
What can be done for people who find the LED streetlights too bright?
Many people are very happy with the new streetlights. However, if a person has checked with neighbors on the block and there is agreement that the light level is a problem, send an email to Utilities Engineering at LEDStreetlights@cityofpaloalto.org providing name, location and contact info.
People will be placed on a waiting list of locations we will evaluate to determine which options available make the most sense in each case. Responding to customer needs is a high priority, but residents should understand that depending on the volume of requests, we may not be able to get out to evaluate their area for several weeks.
As always, feel free to contact me anytime with questions or concerns.
Debra Katz
Utilities Communications Manager
City of Palo Alto
PO Box 10250
Palo Alto CA 94303
I can understand that some people whose houses are very close to the lights might be unhappy, but I think it is incorrect to say that these new street lights in general are not popular in Barron Park. I, for one, find them very helpful and beneficial as they improve the illumination of our street and reduce energy usage and replacement costs. I am glad that our Utilities Department took the initiative to replace the old sodium vapor lights. However, I wish they had provided us with some advance notice.
Background: In 2009-2010, the City installed several models of LED streetlights in Midtown for residents to evaluate and give feedback. The locations of these lights and City-sponsored tours were announced on the BPA-news email list (in both 2009 and 2010).
Personal: I am often working late at night and take breaks by walking on the streets. I find the new lights to be a vast improvement. They provide better coverage of the street — fewer and smaller dark gaps between lights without needing more lights. And my impression is that they are much better in targeting where the light goes — less bleed out to the sides of streets and far less “bleed up” — light pollution upward into the sky (observable by less illumination of the upper portion of trees).
I would hope they would put some of the old lights in an auction lot or donate them to a surplus yard rather than destroy them as most other people are doing to them. When they destroy these things en masse it is akin to genocide.