”
Red Phone, the street lights on my street (Del Monte Avenue)
have recently been replaced with new LED ones, and well they are
too bright at night.
”
“Red Phone, the street lights on my street (Del Monte Avenue) have recently been replaced with new LED ones, and well they are too bright at night. A lot of that bright blue light filters through the windows at night and you can’t even see the sky at night anymore. They shouldn’t install these lights in residential neighborhoods, they should only be installed on main roads where illumination is needed more and doesn’t bother anyone.”
Red Phone: Dear Too Bright, Red Phone contacted Scott Creer, a senior civil engineer with the city. He said the city is in the process of replacing its existing high pressure sodium streetlights with more energy efficient lights.
“This work is being done to reduce the city’s annual street lighting energy costs,” Creer said. “The first phase of this effort was completed in June of 2010. The second phase is currently under way and should be completed this month.”
The new LED streetlights are not only more energy efficient than the high pressure sodium streetlights that they are replacing, he said, but they also provide a more direct light which will help to control light pollution from the city.
“The new LED street lights are appropriate for use throughout the community,” Creer said. “Streetlights within the city’s residential neighborhoods are being changed from 100 watt high pressure sodium heads to new 55 watt/30 LED heads. The replacement heads were selected based upon several criterion including existing lighting levels and roadway type, for example residential, collector or arterial.”
Good caller, it should be noted that in Gilroy the city installed protectors behind the lights so they prevented light from reaching residents’ yards and reflected it toward the street.
The Public Work Department can be reached at (408) 778-6480 with any questions.
Hope that helps.
Construction decibel blues
“Red Phone, we have a new neighbor building a home next door out in the unincorporated area of Santa Clara County. What are the hours they can begin and when do they have to stop?”
Red Phone: Dear Doesn’t Want to be Annoyed, Red Phone checked with the county and learned you’ll likely be annoyed, depending on how loud is too loud.
Permissible hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. However, decibel levels cannot surpass 75, according to Wayne Petersen, an office specialist in the county’s code enforcement department. And, on Sundays and holidays, those decibel levels cannot surpass 50. As a reference, city traffic comes in about 80 decibels and a refrigerator humming is about 40 decibels.
Hope that helps, good caller.
