As the city plans for the potential color temperature conversion of all of its street lights, some community organizations have questioned whether the street lights will become too bright.
Nine organizations sent a letter last week to mayor Greg Stanton and city council signed by nine community organizations including Thunderdome Neighborhood Association for Non-Auto Mobility, Phoenix Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, Downtown Voices Coalition and the Roosevelt Action Association.
The city’s plan would convert 90,000 street lights in Phoenix to LED lights in order to increase energy efficiency, save money on electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions. In the letter, community groups urged for the conversion of the cities lights to be 2700 Kelvin, rather than a brighter, “colder” temperature such as 3000 Kelvin or 4000 Kelvin.
The potential plan has brought concern from community groups who fear the change could affect safety and health. There is also concern because the survey only included two possible light options. Nicole Rodriguez, president of Whitton District Neighborhood Association, said the online survey conducted by the city only allowed the public to compare 3000 Kelvin and 4000 Kelvin bulbs, instead of a possible four that would include 2700 Kelvin and 3500 Kelvin. Monica Hernandez, Street Transportation Department spokeswoman, said the specific type of color temperature, or Kelvin, has not been chosen. Kelvin effects the light and temperature of lights.
“There is a growing concern that the city has chosen the lighting manufacture of their choice prior to the bidding process,” Rodriguez said.
Sean Sweat, president of the Thunderdome Neighborhood Association for Non-Auto Mobility, said he started understanding people’s arguments against the plan when he had first-hand experience with the 4000 Kelvin lights.
“If you were to have daytime lighting at night, it feels like a spotlight,” said Sweat. “When that is right next to your condo, you start realizing right next to your home just how intrusive that can be at night.”
Sweat said cities that were initially ahead of the curve in adapting to 4000 Kelvin LEDs now have old technology because of the rapid change. The letter to city hall mentions how other cities “have tried these brighter, higher-Kelvin lights and have had to reverse their decision after widespread citizen complaints.”
The letter to the city also cites claims from scientists from Harvard University and the American Medical Association that warn that the 4000 Kelvin lights can be detrimental to public health.
John Barentine, program manager at the light pollution advocacy group International Dark-Sky Association, said high Kelvin lights can cause harm to wildlife and drivers, especially older ones.
“The blue light is a very close wavelength to the peak sensitivity to the human body,” he said. “It has created insomnia problems.”
The official decision on the light color temperature will be made in the next couple of months.
Contact the reporter at Holly.Bernstein@asu.edu.
