Overlit Roads

[L.J.D]

I don't know if there's a thread already on this I have looked but couldn't find anything. But I'll start off with this one in Sheffield. It seems extremely overlit for the road type and i can't think why they'd have lights on both sides absolutely no need. Here's another one also that has double lights at regular intervals at night time both look extremely bright.

[Jonathan24]

Presumably in the second example, lights have been added on both sides of the road because the height of the columns have had to be reduced because of the trees?

These lights are currently being replaced at the moment. This short stretch of road has had lights on both sides of the road for quite a while and this is being maintained with the replacement scheme. However, what I've noticed is that the distance between the columns is being significantly reduced, with 7 (or possibly 8) on each side replacing what used to be 5 on each side. It never felt particularly badly lit, so not sure why lights are needed on both sides, for a 2 lane road, with an additional right turn lane.

That's in contrast with a very busy 4 lane road which has long stretches which are only lit on 1 side and doesn't feel that well lit at all. I can understand why they've done that, given the electricity cables on the other side of the road, but they didn't have a problem putting lights on that side before.

Just feels like there is no consistency in how roads are lit.

[L.J.D]

Presumably in the second example, lights have been added on both sides of the road because the height of the columns have had to be reduced because of the trees?

I did think this but if you go back to 2008 when it was SOX they were like for like 6M columns but with only one side lit. Yet when it was changed to SON they added lights both sides for some bizarre reason given how distribution of SON is much better. Now it's LED it looks like a football pitch at night down there all lit up. My street is wider than that stretch of road and yet it only has lights down one side.

These lights are currently being replaced at the moment. This short stretch of road has had lights on both sides of the road for quite a while and this is being maintained with the replacement scheme. However, what I've noticed is that the distance between the columns is being significantly reduced, with 7 (or possibly 8) on each side replacing what used to be 5 on each side. It never felt particularly badly lit, so not sure why lights are needed on both sides, for a 2 lane road, with an additional right turn lane.

Perhaps they are taking into a count the "black areas" that newer LEDs create with the replacement and maybe the junction had a poor safety record in the past which is probably why they added lights both sides ?

[Nicola_Jayne]

With regard to the first location - you are aware of what is accessed via Leppings lane aren't you ?

[L.J.D]

With regard to the first location - you are aware of what is accessed via Leppings lane aren't you ?

Yes but I can think of plenty of football stadium access roads that are lit the normal way.

[Nicola_Jayne]

With regard to the first location - you are aware of what is accessed via Leppings lane aren't you ?

Yes but I can think of plenty of football stadium access roads that are lit the normal way.

ever been in the Leppings Lane End?

other than the cages going and the seating in that lower tier terracing it's eerily similar to how it one on that fateful day

[L.J.D]

Hillsborough aside I've seen another one I think is overlit here. I wouldn't like to live next to those roads with all that excess light.

[tom66]

I find it interesting that this section of the A6 has street lighting - it's an NSL road.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.24719 ... ?entry=ttu

The section is lit from around just before the petrol station is through the gentle bends. The section is also double white for most of its length (though that is a newer addition, didn't exist in 2009). Maybe a serious accident happened here sometime ago and someone lobbied for street lighting but it doesn't seem much more dangerous than any other part of the A6.

[L.J.D]

I find it interesting that this section of the A6 has street lighting - it's an NSL road.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.24719 ... ?entry=ttu

The section is lit from around just before the petrol station is through the gentle bends. The section is also double white for most of its length (though that is a newer addition, didn't exist in 2009). Maybe a serious accident happened here sometime ago and someone lobbied for street lighting but it doesn't seem much more dangerous than any other part of the A6.

There's this lit NSL near Leeds which initially seems overkill but the sharp bend and a few tricky junctions warrant them and there has been fatals there latest one last year a cyclist was killed. Incidentally when the lights were all broken and not working

I'm really surprised the limit hasn't been cut back but it's still NSL.

[Chris5156]

This section of the A316 always seems overlit to me - the lights down either one side or the other would be totally sufficient, having both is overkill. Before the present very large and bright LED lanterns it had MA60s, so it's always been extremely powerful lights on both sides.

[Bryn666]

Back when these roads had motorway grade MA60s despite being suburban single carriageways:

A560 at Altrincham: https://goo.gl/maps/MKxK4nbamm9G9aqZ7
A6145 in Bolton: https://goo.gl/maps/uckLcRQc6RCfxi6T8

[Chris5156]

A560 at Altrincham: https://goo.gl/maps/MKxK4nbamm9G9aqZ7

Bloody hell

[L.J.D]

I don't know how I forgot about this one because its very local but I always found the masses of lights around this crossing absolutely shocking and hideous.

[wallmeerkat]

I find it interesting that this section of the A6 has street lighting - it's an NSL road.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.24719 ... ?entry=ttu

The section is lit from around just before the petrol station is through the gentle bends. The section is also double white for most of its length (though that is a newer addition, didn't exist in 2009). Maybe a serious accident happened here sometime ago and someone lobbied for street lighting but it doesn't seem much more dangerous than any other part of the A6.

There's this lit NSL near Leeds which initially seems overkill but the sharp bend and a few tricky junctions warrant them and there has been fatals there latest one last year a cyclist was killed. Incidentally when the lights were all broken and not working

I'm really surprised the limit hasn't been cut back but it's still NSL.

Should a NSL road with such frequent streetlighting not have NSL repeaters?

A speed limit of 30 mph (48 km/h), or 20mph (32km/h) in Wales, generally applies to all roads with street lights (excluding motorways) unless signs show otherwise.

[Chris5156]

Should a NSL road with such frequent streetlighting not have NSL repeaters?

It should. But this is Leeds, where road signs are not the council's specialist subject.

[Bfivethousand]

Where do I claim my winnings?