UPDATE: Jan 20, 2011
We have an update to this article here.
Ira Needles street lights improperly installed
With more and more street lights being added within the city as it grows, the need for them to be conforming with light pollution efforts is critical. If new full cut off street lights are not installed correctly then we are not achieving the full benefit of these fixtures when it comes to energy efficiency and helping to reduce skyglow.
A great number of full cut off lights in Kitchener are not angled properly to the ground for maximum efficiency. They are actually tilted up by quite a bit, 20deg in some cases. This makes the fixture less effective at preventing light from shining up into the night sky. It also poses, in some cases depending on location, a light trespass issue where the upward tilt of the fixtures is allowing street light to enter properties and bedroom windows.
The KW RASC Light Abatement Committee observed a problem along Ira Needles Blvd. This is a regional road and has been prominent as of late for the large megamall being built along it. The street lights along this road stretching from Highview Rd at Trussler round-about, all the way up to the edge of Waterloo near Erb St. were all tilted up.
With the help of the Region of Waterloo and Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, some of these lights have now been corrected along Ira Needles. The proper angle to the ground is now being observed and the light is being focused where it is needed, on the roadway.
There are more along this stretch of road that are still in need of being fixed and the KW RASC Light Abatement Committee has been in contact with the Region and KW Hydro to determine the status of the work to correct the remaining lights affected.
Helping to reduce light pollution in your City can be as simple as just getting involved. If you see a problem with street lighting in your area contact the KW RASC Light Abatement Committee and also let your local power authority know of the problem. The more people that get involved and bring accountability to how new lighting technology is implemented, the more likely it will done right and we can start to see some progress in protecting our night sky over head.
Shawn Nielsen
Light Abatement Committee
KW RASC