A community near me endures the worst street lighting I've ever seen. It ranks worse among stiff competition by being the primary lighting for the community.
From an distance, the light fixtures are attractive.
And a close-up shows the ornamentation:
But at night, they turn into glare bombs. Their placement at every corner ensures that every direction a motorists looks includes glare to obstruct a safe view of the street.
Glare bombs, looking west
Glare bombs, looking east (before a car approached).
Notice the strong shadows, now imagine the same
shadows between parked cars.
While documenting these lights, a car intruded into my photo, making for a good comparison. Notice how the light and glare from the approaching car is comparable to the glare from the streetlights:
Car approaches from one block away
Car reaches the nearest intersection
and appears as bright at the street light
that is a block away.
I know of no one who sees better while in the beam of car headlights. (That's why we have low-beams). Yet, people don't question the same quality of light when mounted for "our safety and protection".
Watch out in these neighborhoods. You may not see the child or pet that foolishly enters the street or the rock or nail that can break your tire.
jg
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