PAWTUCKET DOWNTOWN DESIGN PLAN FINAL ... - VHB.com

DESIGN Streetscape and Pedestrian Systems
LIGHTING
GOAL
PROPOSAL
Reduce light pollution and energy use and improve pedestrian lighting
During street improvement projects, replace and enhance current
public space lighting with energy efficient, pedestrian-oriented system
Light pollution is a significant problem that can harm birds and insect habitat
and cause resident sleep discomfort. Additionally, over-lighting urban areas
uses energy ineffectively or unnecessarily.
Most of the lighting in downtown Pawtucket is oriented for cars, not
pedestrians. Main Street is fairly well lit and uses pedestrian scaled lighting.
Some areas, like Roosevelt Avenue are over lit due to the large expanse of
parking, while others, like North Union and Summer Streets are under lit.
Current lighting fixture types in downtown Pawtucket consist of primarily two
types: acorn luminaires on cast iron posts that use 150 high pressure sodium
bulbs and cobra roadway lamp heads. The cast iron historic styled light posts
also are used for banner attachments and street signs. The cobra heads are
on their own posts on Broadway, Exchange Street and Goff Avenue and, in the
core of downtown, attached to utility poles.
The PDDP team recommends transitioning from the existing lamp and fixture
types to energy efficient and light pollution reducing models and practices. The
city can accomplish this in one of two ways:
Lighting Revision Project Option
• Keep existing poles and swap out luminaires to top shielded acorn globes
or add interior reflector shields to existing globes and LED bulbs to comply
with Dark Sky principles and improve energy efficiency.
• Add poles with in low lit areas with new dark sky compliant acorn globes,
LED bulbs, and posts that match the dominant cast iron type.
• Add new energy efficient and Dark Sky friendly lighting fixtures in special
areas when specific project funding allows, such along the turnpikes and
Exchange Street, that support the branding and wayfinding goals of those
projects.
102
PDDP DESIGN