Streetlight dimming

[Thalestris24]

Hi all

It's been on the news today about a number of local authorities dimming or switching some streetlights off at night. Anyone been lucky enough to be a beneficiary? Wouldn't it be nice if they all did it! Sadly, night time Glasgow is as bright as ever

Louise

[ronin]

Lights have been going off here for the last 2 maybe 3 years.

Nice and dark at midnoght +- 30 minutes - times they go off is a bit undefined.

Try to "hide" a bit, suspect people would wonder what I am doing in the dark, amongst houses with a set of binoculars or small scope.

Problem with the announcement was it was presented in such a way that it sounded as if the councils were wrong in doing or considering it.

[Thom]

Surrey Council recently implemented a change of street lights in redidential areas round this way a couple of years ago.  They are more energy efficient; cast the majority of light downwards and; dim after midnight.  The dimming isn't massively different, but it does make the skies darker - a noticeable improvement to the old, orange sodium lights.  I don't see it as a bad thing at all.

[wxsatuser]

Lights now go out before midnight, hurrah!

Yes it is dark, when I walk down the road at 5am I take a torch, simples.

[Vox45]

They do this a lot in France and it seems that burglary or road accident did not increase.

In 2007,  the lights went off on a stretch of a highway near Paris (cable were stolen). Authorities realized that crashed went down 30% as drivers were a lot more careful. Since then they turned the lights off on other highways around Paris, same thing in Belgium.

[estwing]

Don't know why but it's always street lighting threads that bring out the worst in us

[Blazar]

Yep. All lights go out at midnight on the dot, till around 6am. I say all lights, but in reality there are certain lights that they keep on, such as round major junctions etc. though the road opposite me is owned by another council...who don't switch em off!

You can still see very easily when the lights go out, especially if there is a near to full moon. The amount of times standing outside casting a shadow when there is no other light around!

[Scott]

lets keep this thread about street lighting please.. and even then, think about what you say please

Thanx

[Psychobilly]

Don't know why but it's always street lighting threads that bring out the worst in us

I would Qualify your post by saying "some of us"

Scott has already had a "clear out" of some of the comments made in this thread  and   suggested that people think before they post ... Please take heed of his advice...

Peter...

[DaveS]

I caught some of that report on "Today" this morning with the inevitable editorial in the Wail of "We'll all be murdered in our beds". There's too much monkey-brain fear of the dark in some people.

If there was *no* street lighting at all would things be worse? I doubt it.

[Laurie61]

I have seen no significant reduction in light pollution although things aren't to bad here (mag 5.5 ish sky's). I would be happy if a lot of the local street lights went off around 12 - 1 o'clock at night   

[Thom]

I caught some of that report on "Today" this morning with the inevitable editorial in the Wail of "We'll all be murdered in our beds". There's too much monkey-brain fear of the dark in some people.

If there was *no* street lighting at all would things be worse? I doubt it.

Well, the monsters in the closet might find it easier to get you!

[Tinker1947]

My village Parish Council are replacing 131 street light with LED type and plan to turn them off from midnight until 05:00am, work starts in January, there will still be some main road lighting nearest being 150yds, here's hoping the county council take the same route.... I did a google and found this....

http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Travel_and_transport/Roads/Road_maintenance/Street_lighting/NCC159261

[Thalestris24]

Lucky you, Tinker! It would be nice if every council did it (especially Glasgow!) and if there was consistency.

Is anyone in Scotland getting their lights dimmed, switched off or changed to a more sky-friendly type?

Louise

[andrew65]

I got mixed feelings I love the idea from an astronomy point of view but I work shifts a and there are already a few streets with lights out on my walk to work and also the industrial estate where I work has the lights out and it's black takes about 30 mins and I leave at 4.45am you'd be surprised the people that's around at that time on the weekends it can be a bit scary nothings really happened and probably won't but I do worry sometimes.

[Tonk]

I'm fortunate to live in a street with no street lights and over the last 40 years there have been various odd attempts by the council to add lights. Always been rejected by the residents (no-one want to be the one to get the lamppost right outside the window). The part of the village that does have lights had a lamp-post war a few years back when they were upgraded with residents petitioning councillors to have the new poles put outside someone else's house! One woman complained because her automatic curtains that closed at night opened again when the very bright new light came on. She succeeded in getting it moved to someone else's patch.

I do have the local yearly crime stats as they are published in the parish mag - there is crime in the village but its 99% daytime (car break ins usually) so no-one around here is worried by lack of street lights at night. The only house that I know of who suffered a night time break in the last 10 years had their house lit up at the front. The police told them the thieves could see an upstairs window was open and used the garage roof to get in (lost his golf clubs - so got off lightly). We keep our house pitch black at front as a consequence  - worked so far - added trick is a couple of jam jars around the bottom of the drain pipes - loud noises are far more effective that an unseen light coming on.

The main Leeds/Otley road outside the village has lights turned off 00:00 to 05:00 - started about 18 months ago - no complaints so far. This is on a long 4 mile section with no houses.

Dog walkers on our road all have campers head torches - simples aint it. ..... and I have a key ring torch for those tricky moments putting the key in the front door.

What's the downside - well Leeds/Bradford airport is 2 miles away and they are not going to turn any lights off!

[Thalestris24]

Lucky you, Tinker! It would be nice if every council did it (especially Glasgow!) and if there was consistency.

Is anyone in Scotland getting their lights dimmed, switched off or changed to a more sky-friendly type?

Louise

Apparently things might be looking up here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/04/glasgow-green-loan-street-lights

Of course it will no doubt take years before there might be a noticeable difference. At least there's hope!

[Thalestris24]

I got mixed feelings I love the idea from an astronomy point of view but I work shifts a and there are already a few streets with lights out on my walk to work and also the industrial estate where I work has the lights out and it's black takes about 30 mins and I leave at 4.45am you'd be surprised the people that's around at that time on the weekends it can be a bit scary nothings really happened and probably won't but I do worry sometimes.

I don't think streetlights necessarily have to be switched off - replacing with energy efficient lamps that shine downwards seems a good idea

[happy-kat]

The new led lights are so bright they have instant affect on dark adapted eyes. The orange lamps I found were less eye closing.

My council has not instigated any dimming that I have seen.

Can only wish.

[Tonk]

... or even better - all the smart countries (Sweden, Argentina, Spain, Germany) are rolling out smart lighting that turns off or dims when NO-ONE is around and turns back on when needed - blimey that's really clever! 

Here's something on Sweden's effort from the New Scientist - http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329814.100-massive-smart-light-lab-tests-tech-to-slash-emissions.html#.VJg11YDpAA

[Tonk]

... mind you this quote from the NS article is very odd "The city will be testing smart lamps that dim if it is sunny" - eh!

[Lowstar]

I believe Belfast Harbour Commission is changing all their lighting, street lighting & towers, to LED but the cost will be eyewateringly expensive. Less maintenance and long lifespan probably made it do-able but as aforementioned the light given off by leds seems very cold, clinical and glarey.

[nytecam]

The BBC News this evening got in on the act with Councils across the country switching off or dimmng lights after midnight.  The Sun Newspaper today also has an article claiming 75% of Council do this and 1/2M lights are affected....and the public are not happy and neither are the police...in Essex.

Our street lights were changed maybe 4yrs ago to white strip lighting with full cut-off.  They dimmed 50% @ 11PM precisely via the internet - this was stated to householders and there was little or no complaint.    But I've noticed over the last year they dim to maybe 30% full power but again nobody has commented even my astro friends.

In reality the overall LP here in SW London remains severe - typically NELM ~2.5 or 3 on an exceptional night and principally caused by sodium lighting to A and B roads and huge London population of ~12M.  Eyeballing deepsky is out of the question.  I don't seek perfection but get by OK with a very sensitive camera to laptop in very brief exposures via my a 30cm SCT so I'm happy - here's the Horsehead in 40s [5s inset] unfiltered from the other night

Merry Chrismas Everyone

[DaveS]

I have sodium lighting, predominantly low pressure. My NELM is around 4-4.5 on a very good night. There have been one or two where I've glimpsed a faint brightening of the sky through the zenith where the Milky Way should be. Not brilliant perhaps, but from London I'll take all that's offered.

[Luke]

No luck here, Bedfordshire isn't into that sort of thing, alas!