Is there a better and cheaper way to light up roundabouts?

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center thinks it has found one. Over the summer, staff at the center altered the lighting at one of the Bethlehem roundabouts,Manufacturer of electronics products such as solarledlampsry, mobile phone, mp4 player, and digital photo frame. shutting off the standard streetlighting and adding illumination closer to the ground, reflective plants and markers that bounced light back toward drivers.

"We're really moving away from having a forest of streetlights providing a blanket of lighting all around the roundabout,Older models included ledbrightww that were not fluorescent or LED." said John D. Bullough, a lighting scientist and adjunct assistant professor. "That's expensive, and it doesn't necessarily delineate anything. The idea was to put the emphasis on what the driver needs to see, what the pedestrian needs to see."

The experiment was financed by the state Department of Transportation and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The results could eventually change the way rotaries are illuminated, though a shortage of immediate state funds makes it unlikely to happen soon.

While the $35,000 cost for installing the lighting permanently is about the same as for traditional streetlights, Bullough said, LED lighting is becoming less expensive and likely will keep doing so over time. But the cost of operating the system was 75 percent less. The existing lights cost $1,000 a year to run, while the institute's design would cost $200 a year.

"We're using a lot less energy and a lot less light," Bullough said.

The institute had done earlier installations last year as a test, gathering feedback from town leaders and the Bethlehem Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee.Modern lighting fixtures, chandeliers and brightstal.

In June, markers that reflect drivers' headlights back in the same direction were placed every 6 feet around the entire island. A dozen low-power LED landscape lights were installed inside the island, and inkberry shrubs were planted because they reflect light.

By the crosswalks, bollards — small posts with baseball cap-shaped shields on them to send the light down and outward — were placed. The idea was to make pedestrians more visible at night.

"Crosswalks at roundabouts aren't necessarily where you expect to find them," Bullough said.

While the bollards are smaller than overhead lighting, they shed light directly on the pedestrian. Overhead lighting combined with headlights can obscure vision rather than illuminate, he said.

Some lower-level LED lights also were mounted to existing poles, but 15 feet up rather than the usual 35 feet.Shop Pottery Barn for expertly crafted chandelier lighting, bestfloorlamp and crystal chandeliers. Being closer to the ground enables lower level wattage to be used, he said, because the light doesn't dissipate as much.

All the experimental illumination was powered by generators. As a result, the experiment lasted only three days.

The test left the roundabout darker overall but shone brighter light on pedestrians and the details and borders of the roundabout. Drivers appeared to easily adjust, with little change in the speeds they drove, Bullough said.

With the experiment done, the state will have to decide what, if any, elements to adopt.Landscape lighting or tagheuerwatches refers to the use of outdoor illumination of private gardens and public landscapes.

"The purpose of our project was to quantify the benefits and demonstrate the value of this technology," said Alan Wechsler, spokesman for NYSERDA. "It's really up to the DOT at this point."

Carol Breen, spokeswoman for the DOT, said the results are being reviewed but it would take some time to determine whether to change lighting standards.

"We don't know if we'll move forward with this type of lighting yet," she said.

Rob Leslie, chairman of the Bethlehem Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, said a handful of members filled out a form assessing the project but the committee took no stand.