Noticed a huge difference in street light colors around my neighborhood over the past 5 years

I was walking my dog last night and it hit me how every new street light they've put in since 2020 is this harsh bright white LED, but the old ones from before were that warm yellowish orange glow. At first I thought maybe the city just got a deal on a different bulb type, but then I looked it up and found out it's part of a nationwide push to save energy and reduce light pollution. Some people say the blue-rich white lights mess with sleep patterns and even confuse birds during migration. Has anyone else noticed their town switching over and felt like something was off about the new lights?

2 comments

2 Comments

davidwright6d ago

Oh man, I noticed this same exact thing a couple years ago. My street got the new LEDs and I honestly thought someone was shining a flashlight into my window at night. What helped me was putting up blackout curtains in my bedroom, but the real game changer was when I called the city and asked them to add shields to the light fixture across from my house. They actually did it, it just took a few emails. Made a huge difference for my sleep because the light doesn't blast directly into my living room anymore. Also, I switched my outdoor porch light to a warm tone bulb on a timer so my yard doesn't feel like a parking lot. It's annoying cause the city probably won't go back to the orange lights, but you can find ways to make it less harsh on your own space.

the_morgan6d ago

Wow, people are really losing sleep over lightbulbs now? I get that the new LEDs are bright and not the coziest vibe, but it's just a street light, not a police interrogation lamp. @davidwright I'm glad you got your city to add a shield, but most people probably wouldn't even notice if they weren't looking for something to complain about.