At a school board meeting in November 2017, concerns were raised about inadequate lighting for evening school events, so the Dodgeville School District directed Alliant Energy to install some additional lights. The lighting was installed during a warm spell in January 2018, and the photographs you see below were taken during the afternoon and evening of June 17, 2018.
Rather than being used only when school events are taking place in the evening, these terrible lights are on dusk-to-dawn 365 nights a year. They are too bright, poorly directed, poorly shielded, and the glare they cause on W. Chapel St. and N. Johnson St. could pose a safety concern for pedestrians not being seen by drivers experiencing disability glare. I can imagine that adjacent neighbors are not too happy with the light trespass into their yards and residences, either.
This is a perfect example of poor lighting design and unintended consequences. How could it be done better? Look for the solution below the following series of photos documenting the problem.
Solutions
In fact, regardless of the lighting solution, the lights should be either turned off or dimmed down to a lower level later at night. (Security cameras will see just fine at lower light levels if that is a concern.)
Good neighbor outdoor lighting means minimizing GLUT:
Glare—never helps visibility
Light Trespass—no point in putting light where it is not needed
Uplight—sending light directly up into the night sky is a total waste
Too Much Light—use the right amount of light for the task, don’t overlight
