Why California Needs LED Street Lighting

Read the California Department of Transportation’s traffic rules closely. Once you do, you’ll immediately understand why LED lighting is positioned to be the safe lighting solution of the future.

municipal LED street lighting
Image Courtesy of Whatley (a Valmont company)

Consider, for instance, Section 9-06.1, which states that the “purpose of highway lighting is to promote the safe and orderly movement of traffic by eliminating certain permanent features or conditions which are unusual, which require additional care and alertness to negotiate, and which, if eliminated, may be more readily comprehended and so compensated for by the motorist.”

In that context, LED roadway lighting stands out as the obvious choice for municipalities. Installing LED lighting is a smart way to simultaneously comply with the DOT’s codes, improve traffic flow and reduce the likelihood of accidents.

LED lighting technology is also far more “green” than competitive technologies. Modern LED schemes consume far less energy and require far less maintenance and repair than do traditional municipal lighting schemes.

In addition, going the “LED solution” route may have safety benefits that go well beyond positive environmental and money saving benefits.

Consider, for instance, reports out of Oakland, California, where municipal leaders recently installed LED street lights in the hopes of combating crime. So far, the experiment appears to be going remarkably well. Larry Reid, a Councilman for Oakland, said the switch to an LED scheme “will make an incredible amount of difference because the bad guys will have second thoughts by committing crimes here, because it’s more likely that they will be seen.”

Improve Your Community With LED Roadway Lighting

To help protect your community, save money in your budget, and reduce maintenance needs and environmental pollution, discuss your project needs with the Great Basin Lighting team now. Give us a call at (925) 240-1566 (California) or (775) 333-0900 (Nevada) or fill out our contact form here on our website for us to get in touch with you.