Q&A
Color temperature of city street lights (Intro 145)
1:57:50
ยท
129 sec
Council Member Brooks-Powers inquires about DOT's stance on the color temperature of city street lights, specifically regarding the 3,000 Kelvin standard proposed in Intro 145. DOT officials explain their current approach and plans.
- DOT believes 3,000 Kelvin is appropriate for city street lights
- The standard changed from 4,000 Kelvin to 3,000 Kelvin about 10 years ago
- Out of 400,000 street lights, about 140,000 still have 4,000 Kelvin bulbs
- DOT plans to replace 4,000 Kelvin bulbs with 3,000 Kelvin as they burn out
- 3,000 Kelvin is considered more pleasing and less glaring
- Different standards apply for specific areas like parks' ball fields
- DOT is not currently evaluating or considering implementing street lights with a different color temperature
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:57:50
Going back to my bills, starting with intro 145.
1:57:55
Does DOT currently believe that a color temperature of 3,000 Kelvin is appropriate for our city street lights?
Margaret Forgione
1:58:07
Yes, chair.
1:58:08
We do.
1:58:09
So about, 10 years ago, there was a different standard.
1:58:14
We follow standards by the Society of Illuminating Engineers.
1:58:18
These are sort of federal guidelines that we use for our lighting.
1:58:23
And about 10 years ago, roughly, there was a standard of 4,000 Kelvin, which we started implementing.
1:58:30
And then around that time, the standard, was reduced to to 3,000 Kelvin, which, of course, is like a more yellowish light, less of a glaring type of light.
1:58:41
So in all, we have 400,000 street lights out there in the city, and about 140,000 still do have the 4,000 Kelvin, in them.
1:58:51
But what we plan to do, they're really reaching the end of their useful life.
1:58:55
So rather than try to find tens of 1,000,000 of dollars, it would be $65,000,000 in particular to go out and replace them.
1:59:03
As they burn out, we will replace them with the 3,000 Kelvin.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:59:09
What are the advantages of color temperature of 3,000 Kelvin?
Margaret Forgione
1:59:14
Right.
1:59:15
So people seem to find the 3,000 Kelvin, more pleasing and less glaring.
1:59:22
However, there are different standards.
1:59:24
So, like, if you have a park's, ball field, the Kelvin will be much higher.
1:59:28
It can be as high as, I think, like, 5 or 66,000 Kelvin, and that is, like, much brighter light, almost like direct sunlight so that people can see better in certain environments.
1:59:39
But, we do agree that the standard, the the look of it, is appropriate for basically everything that we are lighting in the city.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
1:59:50
Is DOT currently evaluating or considering implementing street lights with a different color temperature at all?
Margaret Forgione
1:59:58
At the present time, we are not.