Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

Do you walk, bike, drive, or jog in San José after dark? Are you frustrated by the inability to discern colors under San José’s current yellow streetlights? Would you like to see the stars at night when you step out your back door? Are you eager to see the City realize its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Then please attend a streetlight demonstration to provide input on new types of streetlights the City is considering. This City-sponsored event will be held on Wednesday, March 3 and Thursday, March 4 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend either night.

With the adoption of its Green Vision in 2008, the City of San José made a commitment to convert all of its 62,000 streetlights to zero emission lights—streetlights powered entirely by renewable energy—by 2022. Green Vision is a ten-point plan the City Council adopted in 2008 that seeks to more than halve the City’s carbon footprint.

To achieve this goal, the City is first looking to substantially reduce the energy consumption of its streetlights. San José has taken a leadership role nationally in its active pursuit of advanced streetlight and control systems. The City has installed “smart” LED streetlights in two neighborhoods – energy efficient lights that can be dimmed in the late evening hours when traffic is minimal. San José is blazing new ground with this initiative.

The City is now at a stage where it needs community input. We need to hear what residents think about the quality and quantity of light these new lights cast. In addition to answering a short survey, residents will also have the opportunity to participate in a target detection test that will help us understand how well people see under different lighting conditions. Your input will be critical as the City develops its Streetlight Master Plan, which will ultimately help reduce energy consumption and save tax dollars, improve the quality of light on San José streets, and protect the night sky.

Participation in the study is on a “first come, first served” basis. We urge you to RSVP to streetlightdemo [at] sanjoseca [dot] gov as soon as possible to reserve your spot. Please use “Public Streetlight Demo” in the subject line. Be sure to note which day you would like to attend.

Participants will meet downtown and will be shuttled to and from the demonstration site. City staff will provide you with additional logistical information when you register. Feel free to send any questions you may have to streetlightdemo [at] sanjoseca [dot] gov.

You must be a San José resident to participate in the study. To ensure the survey is unbiased, those who work for a lighting or component company or design or install lights will be unable to participate.