OPTIMIZATION OF ROADWAY LIGHTING SYSTEMS

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE STUDIES WERE CONDUCTED USING FULL-SCALE ROADWAY LIGHTING LABORATORY FACILITIES TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION OF ROADWAY LIGHTING SYSTEMS TO PRODUCE A SATISFACTORY DRIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR FREEWAY-TYPE FACILITIES. CONSIDERATIONS IN DETERMINING THE OPTIMUM GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION WERE: (1) OBTAINING A MORE FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM, (2) REDUCING GLARE, (3) REDUCING THE OVERALL COST OF INSTALLATION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE, AND (4) REDUCING THE NUMBER OF POLES TO REDUCE FIXED-OBJECT HAZARDS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A MORE ECONOMICAL AND FUNCTIONAL LIGHTING SYSTEM CAN BE OBTAINED BY INCREASING THE MOUNTING HEIGHT OF CONVENTIONAL MEDIUM DISTRIBUTION TYPE MERCURY VAPOR LUMINAIRES. IT WAS FOUND THAT 400-WATT LUMINAIRES MOUNTED AT 40 FT AND SPACED AT 200 FT APART PRODUCED THE MOST FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM FOR ROADWAYS WITH TWO AND SOMETIMES THREE LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. TYPE III 1,000-WATT MERCURY VAPOR LUMINAIRES MOUNTED AT 50 FT AND SPACED 300 FT APART PRODUCED THE MOST FUNCTIONAL LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR ROADWAYS WITH THREE TO SIX LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. THE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM HIGHER MOUNTING HEIGHTS ARE: (1) REDUCTION IN DISCOMFORT DUE TO GLARE, (2) IMPROVED UNIFORMITY OF ILLUMINATION, AND (3) GREATER SAFETY AND LOWER COST OF INSTALLATION AND OPERATION DUE TO FEWER LUMINAIRES PER MILE.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1968/216/216-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Night Visibility and presented at the 47th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Rowan, Neilon J
  • Walton, Ned E
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 34-47
• Monograph Title: Lighting, visibility and driving
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 216
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Freeways; Geometric design; Glare; Hazards; Height; Highway safety; Laboratory studies; Luminaires; Mercury vapor lamps; Reduction (Chemistry); Single vehicle crashes; Spacing; Standardization; Street lighting; Support poles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fixed object
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway lighting; Mercury lamps; Reduction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220134
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 29 1994 12:00AM