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Dave Smith[_1_]

On 2017-06-30 12:06 PM, wrote:
> On Fri, 30 Jun 2017 09:49:46 -0400, Dave Smith
>
>> Some people seem to be afraid of the dark. When we moved here the
>> people next to us had a street light installed to illuminate their
>> driveway. I found it annoying because, being 300 feet down the lane,
>> the light came in though our bedroom window.
>
> 300' is a very long distance for even the most powerful street
> lights... I have a couple of high lumen lights about 25' high
> on each side of my barn but they only light a 150' diameter with the
> light tapering off after 100'... my house is 300' feet away and none
> of that barn light shines near my house. Even the lights used at
> baseball fields for pro games won't illuminate 300', that's why they
> use dozens all around the perimeter for night games.

I didn't say that I could read by that light. It was just a glow that
distracted from what would have been pleasant darkness.

That street light was not as bad as the lighting they installed along
the street. We had had a 10 acre apple orchard right next to us.
Someone bought it, severed it and built two houses. When they moved out
the new owners contacted the town and pressed them for street lights.
That was much more of a problem for me and room darkening for sleep.
However, there was a noticeable improvement in road speed compliance.
We had had a tar and chip road for years and a 45 mph limit, though most
people seemed to be doing 50 or more. The speed limit had been dropped
to 35, with no effect, and then to 30, still without much effect.
Meanwhile, the road was paved with asphalt, lines painted and the street
light, and all of a sudden people were driving more slowly. I guess the
glow of the light is not as disturbing as the roar of cars that you can
hear coming and going for a mile or two each way.

> Bright lights do keep nocturnal critters away, including coyotes...
> there are coyotes here and occasionally they will cut through my
> property at night but they definitely steer clear of those well lit
> areas.

Curiously, raccoons and coyotes tend to cross right by the neighbours
street light, but the deer cross by the west side of our property
between the street lights.