If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to walk down a sidewalk from the future, take a stroll down Guerrero between Market and Duboce sometime after dark. No, it’s not to see the colorful mix of Vapor Den and Taco Bell customers. Three new LED street lights have been installed as part of a citywide project kickstarted by Supervisor Scott Wiener.
I know what you’re thinking, “Scott Wiener?! How are new street lights going to make life harder for nudists and homeless people?” Believe it or not, this one seems to be relatively harmless. The new lights are being installed in several locations around the city with an end goal of city-wide conversion over the next couple years.
This isn’t quite as simple as changing out a few bulbs though. Many of the actual poles are more than 40 years old and are in need of replacement. Furthermore, only about 60% of the 45,000 street lights in San Francisco actually belong to the city. The rest are owned by PG&E. The legislation addresses these and other issues though, including installation of additional lights on poorly-lit streets and faster repair times.
So what’s the difference?
- LEDs emit an equal amount of red green and blue compared to conventional sodium vapor street lights which are predominantly yellow
- The new lights are built to cast more light on sidewalks, rather than just the road
- LEDs use up to 80% less energy
- LEDs last up to twice as long
- You feel a little bit like you’re in a Star Trek movie
In case you haven’t experienced the street lights of the future in person, I shot a couple comparative examples to illustrate the difference. (The new LEDs are on the left, and the sodium vapor lights we’re used to are on the right.) These were all shot with the same exposure settings and neutral white balance. When they made the switch in Los Angeles last year, the new lights made waves in the cinema world because of how drastically it changed the nighttime aesthetic of the city. Some people I’ve spoken to appreciate the more “natural” look to the lights while others find it weird and unnecessary. What do you think?
