Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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an entertaining and informative fashion. An actionmanual, "Good. Water and Plentg of 1f," stresses the
long-range planning so essential for an adequate trnd
economical water svstem, and tells how other communities have built popular support for water works projects.
A handorrt leaflet, "The Wonders of Water," gives facts
of general interest about water supply.
SEWAGE TREATfuIENT A full-color, sound film, "Clean
Waters," dramatizes the social and economic costs of
water pollution. The accompanying manual, "Modern
Seuage Treatment," aids civic leaders in demonstrating
to their communities the beneffts of adequate sewage
treatment.
URBAN TRANSIT and how it can relieve traffic congestion. A graphic film, "Going Places", shows how urban
transit, teamed with other well-planned measures, carl
restore normal circulation in a community's traffic
trrteries and alleviate the parking problem. A h.andout
mailing piece illustrates how transif vehicles multiply
the carrying capacity of streets by taking vely little
space to move large numbers of people. A communityaction manual,"Horo to KeeTt Your Commttnitg Coing
Places", is addressed to civic leaders, municipal officials
trnd planners, and transit operators.
You can easily arrange to see any of these programs
in touch with the nearest General Electric
sales office, or by writing to the General Electric Company, Schenectady 5, N. Y.
try getting
L?ltrdeh6/FOR
initemonstra,nrlf,J"off!,:::"'"1f #:;3y3,hghting
to the ushole community
For many years the General Electric Company has been cooperating tvith communities, and their
electric utilities, in the planning and execution of street-lighting programs. General Electric
ha-s d1aw1 on this experience to prepare a series of "how-to" bookleti on modern street lighting.
This booklet, first of the series . . .
hou greatly yovr community uillbenefit from relighting, by summarizing the benefits that other communities harse
. . . suggests
Page
reported
fully
. . . calls
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Wonenrs ctubs:
"The rcw lights make
a uarld of difference
in the
appearance
of our cornmunitg,
Various local groups and leaders are already at work in your community
to make it a better, more prosperous place to live. They are interested
in programs for promoting community growth, attracting desirable
industries, stimulating local business, reducing traffic accidents and
traffic congestion, preventing crime and delinquency, improving
the appearance of business and residential areas, and heightening
community spirit. It is not generally realized that good street lighting
contributes greatly to the success of every one of the communityimprovement programs just mentioned. Community leaders and
organized groups will be enthusiastic about new street lighting-once
they learn how much it will do, in so many different areas, at so little cost.
And the community, as a whole, will be enthusiastic too, for at night
good street lighting is the most outstanding feature of the communitv.
.."{uT$
Psrenls:
"We are thankfulthat
{ffi$ffiH
Police departments all over the country hail good street lighting as one of
the best ways to run criminals out of town. In the words of a convicted house
prowler: "I uould neoer'uork' in a lighted area." Good lighting not only
chases confirmed criminals, but also eliminates tempting opportunities for
delinquency and minor lawbreaking.
Sofely groupr:
shouss
Welfore groups:
"The neu: Iights
s$ept the
str:eets
characters."
SNJS!r-{g$$
Merchants find that good street lighting rings the bell-on the cash register.
A bright, cheerful business center attracts more shoppers; helps create a
"buying atmosphere." Well-lighted business areas are more stable-they
continue to attract shoppers as the community grows and spreads out.
tlerchonls:
"Bwiness has picked
up
-the neu lights
are attracting more
customers, especinlly
"..
with lots of commrurity spirit get things done, grow, become rnore
prosperous, and are more interesting places to live, Places without it tend
to fall behind, if only by standing still. Good street lighting gives community
spirit a double lift. . .
Places
Even more surprising is the fact that newly lighted communities report
dollar returns far exceeding the cost of the improved lighting. The residents
of Hartford, Connecticut, have enjoyed a $90,000 annual saving in auto
insurance premiums alone, in return for a $20,000 annual expenditure for
improved street lighting. It's obvious that no community can afford to do
without good street lighting.
1fto'*
v"We
owners
"It
3
didn't realize
uhat a difference it
inawellIighted community."
makes toliae
to gol'
costs me less to
insure mq car-the
Toxpoyers' ossociolion
"Our new lighting is
an economv meLsure
is saaing the tax-it
payers more than it
cosfs."
Dark streets are far more dangerous, and well-lighted streets are far safer, than most people
realize. Let's look at some startling facts. They will show you that modern street lighting
is a "must" for your community's traffic safety program.
trffic
uoas 75
NIGHT
ru
\E-
'l
._
G
-re&
G
G
IE:
HIGHT
DAY
_!--
G
'E"
n
rr-
BEFORT
AFTER
Ttol
Dark streets stiurd conyicted of nurnerous "traffic rnurclers", injuries, and propertl' damages. To r,vhat extent
rvill goocl street lighting reduce the tragic preponclerance of dark-street accidents? It doesn't seem ptrausible
to expect that the one or two lumens per square foot
you get from good street lighting will take the place of
the thousands of lumens per foot of sunlight. But here
are some typical before-and-after results which shorv
tliat good lighting goes a long way toward extending
clnl'time safety to nighttime traffic.
DAY
_--
-rE
--
1.6 to I
HARTFORD, CONNECTICU',
is soving ot leost 6 iives o yeor
on rhe l0 miles of thorough-
N!GI.IT
'----E:E-'\-,_.
,G
lE
4
iE-
DAY
iE-
The charts on this page show at a glance that cominunities experience amazing reductions in night fatnlities on their relightecl streets. But how can we be sure
tliat tlie neu lighting did it? What about other factors
such as safety can'ipaigns, better enforcement of tra{Iic
regulations, street improvements, re-routing of traflRc,
and improved traffic signs?
These other factors are at rvork during the dav, as
r.vell as at night, and are therefore reflected in the
dav-accident trend. So, in order to singie out the
efiects of street lighting, all we liave to do is find out
rvhether night accidents have droppecX o{I more sharply
th;rn dtry accidents. The sirnplest wav to do this is to
compare the ratio of night-to-dat' acciclents before
relighting with the ratio after relighting. N{ore often
g3o/"
78"/"
100%
80%
+-
-'E-
BTFORT
DAY
ATTTR
9tol
0.2 to I
NIGI,IT
:
----'
'--E-
NIGHT
A
I\_
iE-
JE
,C
]EF
NIGHT
-U
DAY
-+
:E.
BIFONE
9lol
9t%
e2%
t00%
AFTER
1.3 lo I
rcs%
F
F
ts
o
a
E
6
n
-
a
E
=
o
F
(5
=
o
ry
(3
E
These communities relighted some
IE
ts
;
{
-G
a
r
4
q
F
WITH GOOD IIGHTING lhe night totols dropped for below the
levels thot would hove prevoiled under the old lighting' The com'
porison period is one yeor before ond one year olter.
=6=
-i':-
ili
ili
$r 17.000
'4.
il
TOTAI ACCIDTI{TS
iti
'$=
PROPIRTY DAIIIAGE
$64,000r
ACCIDTI.IT (OSTS
The chart above, and similar reports from a hundred other localities, demonstrate that communities of all sizes-including small towns-enjoy substantial reductions in non-fatal night accidents.
These widespread reductions in non-fatal accidents rank in importance with the more widely
publicized decreases in big-city fatalities.
,}
CUTS CRIME
Crime is taking an annual toll of lives and dollars that
communities cannot tolerate: close to 13,000 persons
feloniously killed, over g0,000 persons assaulted, and
more than 1,500,000 serious crimes against property.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that crime
is still on the increase, in spite of everything that's been
done to curb it. Serious-ofiense arrests have reached
an all-time high of over 1,700,000 a year. A serious
crime is committed someushere in the United States
euery 78 seconds!
ffi
E;
EI
E
E
B
E
E
ffic
E
E
as-
after dark.
E
E
as-
-o
Bureau recently asked the police chiefs of a large number of communities for their views on the contribution
of street lighting to crime prevention. Here are some
of their replies:
.,,
From q confession.
"l
.':''.'..:...:l:'l..:.:|,..:'':..''::.:.,::::.l....':;.'.ffi
Of lhe cilies reporling lo fhe Slreef ond froffic
Sofefy Lighting $ureou,88o/o soy lhol
Fxa*i
,*m
frrf
.,,rarrl:i,{:
!!qFs
PROMOTES BUSINESS
lntreoses Soles
Trade is attracted by light, Merchants find that cheerful, safe, wellJighted streets attract more shoppers>
and help put them in a buying mood. They ffnd that
well-lighted streets are just as important to sales as
well-lighted windows and interiors. Local residents do
more local shopping, and more out-of-town customers
are attracted, too.
After Seymour, Indiana, had relighted its business district, the local electric utility received numerous letters
of appreciation from local merchants. Here are a few
excerpts:
"The cornplete reiuaenation of Seymour's dousntoran street lightinghas had. a psychological efect on both the local and the out-of -toun buyers
of our merchandise. . . .W e belieae this new lighting system is the greatest si.ngle improoement
that has come to Seymour in years." ( Owner of a
furniture store)
"Our modernized lighting system has aroused
much faoorable comment from the many customers uho oisit our store from the samounding
trading area. Seymour has iust been recognized
in a special neus di,spatch to our local daily paper
as the center of a great trading area. In this report, the Segmour retail sales are greater than
the total income of the local people, u:hich indi'cates that ue are attracting many dollars from
the bugers in the trading area." (Manager of a
large retail store )
A well-lighted business district is more likely to continue to attract shoppers as the community grows and
spreads out. It is far less likely to deteriorate through
the migration of stores to growing suburban areas.
Lighting thus helps to assure that real estate values in
established business districts will show a stable growth
in step with community development.
In fast-growing
f,D
--,-
*)t
F
+tt
Well-lighted streets are the show windows of a progressive community. Good street
lighting is good community advertising. Prospective residents look upon good street
lighting as a sign that the community is desirable and forward-Iooking in other ways. Of
course, good street lighting doesn't make up for lack of other essential services. But poor
lighting, by itself, goes a long way toward making an otherwise desirable community
a dismal, unattractive place to live.
Community growth was the keynote of a successful relighting campaign in Littlefield,
Texas. When the local utility made a lighting survey and proposal, it also suggested ideas
for comprehensive modernization of streets and store-fronts, in keeping with the proposed
*odern-llghting. The utility presented its suggestions through a series of exhibits, one of
which is shown below. These exhibits were greeted with enthusiasm. The local press got
behind the campaign with front-page headlines like this:
"A
That's the advice of the Industrial Development Division of the Tennessee Planning. Commission. It cites
the case of a manufacturer who rejected a community
that would have charged him only $440 annually for
taxes in favor of another community that placed taxes
at $46,000. Company officials stated that they desired
to carry a fair tax load, otherwise "they did not see how
of community-wide modernizotion.
INSPIRES
COMMUilI ITY
S
PIRIT
t0
AS
A CIVI( ACCOTUIPI.ISHMTNT
results of that brightness. They feel safer in night traffic
from the old fear of dark streets. And they feel that
their community is a better place to live. The Mayor
of Cleveland, Ohio, summed it up this way:
"C
ioic pride
go es hand.
plishment. We are iustly proud of our neu; defense against accidents and crime through the
medium of Cleoelands rnodern street lighting
ptogrenx."
Many business and civic leaders feel that the heightening of community pride is iust as important as the
more tangible reduction of accidents and crime. Listen
to the President of a southern power company that has
"Cood street lighting is recognized as an inoaluable aid to public safety and crime preoention.
Equally important is the fact that it rnakes the
citizens of the toumtake more pride intheir cornmunitg."
PI0PIE
EXpATSS Tt{E*ft
"
The Mayor of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has been "taking bows" ever
since that city installed new street lighting:
"Our
nens street lighting is the talk of the town. Many of our tounspeople
and outsiders, too, haoe complimented us on our neu) lighting."
l'
Most municipal services are little noticed, and soon taken for granted.
Good street lighting, which brightens the community when it would
otherwise look dismal, is an outstanding exception. Good lighting gets
the praise it deserves.
The city manager of Ashtabula, Ohio, reports that at first there was some
opposition to the expenditure of additional funds for lighting. But once
new lights had been installed on Main Street, this opposition was replaced
by a popular demand for further and more rapid extension of new lighting.
An Indiana town that had "budget trouble" was the scene of an unusual
demonstration of public willingness to pay for new street lighting. Sponsors
of the new lighting "passed the hat" during the light-up celebration, and
townspeople voluntarily contributed enough money to pay for the first
two years' operation of their new street lighting system.
.. . qt celehrutiens
*$ "light-up tim*"
New lighting, especially "white-way" lighting, is nearly always
inaugurated by a gala celebration. Far from being a "night on the town,"
these celebrations are usually impressive ceremonies that demonstrate
widespread interest and pride in community improvement. The turn-out,
swelled by out-of-town visitors, sometimes exceeds the local population,
as it did in a Kansas town of 10,000, and a Missouri community of 2,500.
Typically, the ceremonies are launched by local and state officials, and
other prominent leaders, who briefly review the progress of the community
and give credit to the individuals, groups, and companies responsible
for the new hghtlng program. Then a well-known guest of honor turns on
the lights. This is usually the signal for a parade-often a pageant that
dramatizes the history or high lights of the community. One such parade,
staged by a small Pennsylvania city, contained 20 bands, and numerous
floats depicting the progress of local transportation. After the parade the
residents and visitors take over and dance in the streets. A celebration
like this always enhances community spirit, and often it is long
remembered as an outstanding event in the history of the community.
Light-up celebrotions
enhonce community spirit
11
SA1JES
Let's look into the extent to which good street lighting produces
direct, into-pocket returns for the whole community.
Ssves on lnsuronce Premiums
N{any people think that an insurance company pays auto accident claims out of its own pocket, using money that it has col-
o,
MORE THAN
IT COSTS
Munitipol
Expenses
t\
N
"Ceftainly our neu) Iighting costs more than the old,, but
the increased cost i,s offset by increased trffic safety and
the reduction in crime."
It's foir lo sdy thot good street lighting more thon poys its woy
in direct dollqr sovings. lt's not only worth its cosl; it repoys its
cosl, ond more. Good lighting is both on essenliol municipol service ond qn economy meqsure loo-on irresisfible combinolion.
Good lighting
sfo,ii'di
lives ond property
Up to this point you have been reminded of the great variety of benefits that other
colmmunitils have derived from modern street lighting. Now it is time to take these generalities
and use them as leads to see how Uour oun communi,ty will benefit from relighting. This
is an interesting and basic job that only you and the people who work with youcan do. But
you will ffnd it helpful to see how other communities have evaluated the expected benefits
of relighting.
Nothing will do more to bring good lighting to your community than an evaluation of the
expectJ results of carefully planned relighting. When the time comes to get the necessary
support for your relighting proposal, you will find that benefits which are expressed in
teinls of concrete local results will be far more persuasive than generalities. And to be sure
of getting those results you must make the most of modern methods of lighting.
So, before you even consider submitting the question of relighting for formal decision,
call in a ligirting specialist to survey your present lighting, anf t9 draw up a comprehensive
plannedJightirfg proposal. For there's much more to good lightlng than more and better
lights. Good lighting is an applied science.
}'S}ili itl:t;iill.
Your lighting survev may turn up some startling surprises. A mid-western community discovered that its
iigtrti"g was so deficient-only 40% of recommended
levels-that it conformed to war-time brown-out requirements! A New Jersey community, which had be**" uro.rr"d by increases in night accidents, found
that its lighting had been the target of short-sighted
economy drives. Although the community was grow-
ing rapidly, successive "economies" had actually reduced-its street lighting 25% below the 1931 level.
Most communities discover that streets which are
L4
Aru* f*{:ii}{i'l4 L
thought to be pretty well lighted often fall far short
of accepted minimum levels for safe, comfortable
,i; i"iiit+?iru{}
i'ii,lF?!urE?
seeing.
5:l
{: t"+'
rit
ffi i ii li i{t
iclrp*i**nt* *i
{'r
i"
AND PROPOSAL
SURVEY
LIGHTING
PAGE
street
CONIENIS
r section one presents '^[ nlgn rrvrrrJ
ond sums up ihe
lighting,
presents
recommendotio"t
interprels the specific
t*
"
li"J;Ta:.::*:"1,1ieiHi[lr;ff]e;
.o.h. rtt.l]"unring
i'"lnl".r.-t., spo.ing,-m.
height, erc.
lt."r'Y""ri,i.tr",
wrtn
tYPe"or
lighring
osed
the recommended
;ir;".;;;.r;, rhe.prol rhe recommended
th"
lff::[i"i1ff[":::;'-i-roi 'o't
or
imProvements'
fi:::l::r
bv recommendl"n "
streers''relishtins
lV The report concludes
with the most urgenl
oegin
would
grom, which
t2
pro"
The city councilmen were so impressed with the competence of this report, ond with the
need which it so cleorly set forth, thot they elected to put through the entire relighting
progrom in one yeor. Public. response to the ropid relighting of the whole community
wos overwhelmingly fovoroble.
Let's assume that you expect resistance. On the following pages are some of the ways of overcoming resistance that have "clicked" in other communities. You
chn adapt as many as you need for your own use.
15
Many places have launched a successful communitywide relighting program by first demonstrating the
result of good lighting on a few of their most dangerous streets and intersections. Such relighting is an inexpensive, emergency safety-measure which you can
easily get approved. Small communities have relighted
a single block as a sample-sometimes using portable
post lights. Be sure that the trial installation is executed
traffic streets for an experimental relighting demonstration. The night accident rate on these streets was
FOUR TIMES GREATER than the day rate. lmmedlately after the streets toere relighted, the night rate
dropped to about the leael of the day rate-uith an
estimated saoing of 28 acci,dents in only th,ree months!
Cleveland, Ohio dramatically demonstrated the value
1.2
the old luminaires were replaced by modern luminaires, three more luminaires were added, and the
mounting height was raised from twenty feet to
twenty-six feet. A year-before, year-after comparison
showed that day accidents increased 12%*about in
step with increased traffic volume. But night accidents
DECREASED 47%-in spite of the increased traffic
oolume!
16
for
showil g,
at
fie
Accidents
nl
lffill Prevent
Take the second map and mark the location of all existing lights that should be modernized, and all new lights
will speok for themselves. These two maps, used as an exhibit, will attract
widespread attention when displayed in a prominent place like a bank, utility office,
store or municipal building. N{aps like these, of course, represent a lot of work. But
rem_ember that they not only dramatize accident reduction, but also ofier impressive
evidence of the careful planning that has gone into your lighting proposal.
The mops
In- Kansas City, maps like these were brought up to date as each section of the city was
relighted. They told the public a dramatic, running story of good lighting's viciories in the
war against excessive night accidents.
H
..EE
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NEIGHBORING (Oft{I'JIUNITIES
THAT FIAVE REIIGHTED THEIR STRITTS
Neighboring communities that have modern street lighting provide you with a close-tohome demonstration of its benefits and acceptance.
Many a community has been spurred to prompt action on relighting by reports from
delegations who visited nearby communities to see their new street lights and hear what
people said about them. The efiect of seeing good lighting in other comrnunities is not
primarily to spur people to "keep up rvith Joneses." Rather, it is the visible impact of the
new lighting on the whole appearance and spirit of the cornmunity, and the favorablecomments oT people who live ihere, that convince a visitor his community ought to relight too.
,,INSURANCE
VAI.UE,,
OF COMTORTABTE SEEING
Most people buy insurance, and they consider it well worth the
cost even though they may never put in a claim. You can point
out that good street lighting offers additional insurance of a
unique kind. The usual insttrance colnpensates a person after
a mishap has occurred. But street lighting is "preventive
insurance": it reduces the likelihood that a person will
ever be involved in a traffic accident-either as victim or as
"Isn't it u;orth a feut dollars a gear to you to i,nsure yourself againrt the possibility
that you uoi,tt be inaoh'ed in one of these preaentable acci'dents?"
When street illumination is presented in this light it will be recognized as an insurance bargain.
FACTS
A Cleveland child was brutally assaulted in a dark alley. This single incident, widely,
publicized, played an important part in a successful campaign to expand Cleveland's relighting
factual
irog.u*. Xothi"g carriei more c^onviction than a single dramatic incident, coupled with
evidence that the one instance is speaking for many others'
T'ri1:]
:!,
:.
*ij;rilFrit:l
You can show that your lighting, just by standing still, is falling farther and farther behind.
Relighting gets more urgent every year it is postponed. Every year auto tra{fic gets
heavier, pedestrians become more numerous, dollar losses from traffic accidents and crirne
(HART
tt
F
20 YTARS AGO
EXPENDIIURTS AND
. ii
in ^
hh C?C F
POPUTAIION
eoch yeor.
h\)1O$\OB\\9S
$$$$+*+s
/
t
ExPENDtnJREg
r\G$l$\s
TODAY
(HARI IHE WIDENING GAP BETWEIN TIGHIING EXPENDIIURT5 AND OIHER (OMMUNITY TXPENDIIURES
.r,?ffi&Y
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t
19
PREPARE A
,,BA[ANCE.SHEEI,,
SUINMARY OF THE
onnuol
Gost
per copilo
Totol
odditionol
onnuol cosl
Additionol
onnuol (ost for
equipment
Additionol
onnuol ro$ for
electricity
Estimoted
intreose or
reduction in
moinlenonce rosls
Promotes business
lncreoses soles
More soles to present residenls
Additionol cuslomers from out-of-lown
New residenls
New induslries
Roises ond stobilizes reol-estote volues
Business districts
Resideniiol property
Reduces crime
Choses criminols out of lown
of low
A BEIIER
enforcemenl
PTACT
IO
LIVT
P r
ev
enlion
D eport ment
(GE0.t369)
|l0W T0
ptAt{ M0DERil
STRTET
ilGllill{G (0Et-5115)
to
Americo.
LET THERE BE TIGHT
(GEll.I27tl)
ized loborotory for the evoluolion of lighting equipment ond plonned-lighting systems.
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