I first noticed it just before Halloween, north of 34th on Colby. A ghostly, unnatural glow that crept further south every night. A glow that will soon drastically alter the aesthetics of our entire city.
It seems Everett is following Seattle down the controversial path of installing LED street lamps. While the change brings lower energy and maintenance costs, the drawbacks need to be illuminated as well.
First, as amber sodium discharge lamps are replaced with LEDs, Everett streets will be bathed in blue light. This type of light is so effective at stopping melatonin production and disrupting sleep cycles that, for those of us who struggle with dark Pacific Northwest winters, doctors prescribe a course of blue light exposure in the morning (and recommend avoiding it at night). Second, the bright, concentrated light these fixtures produce is a potent combination which can cause blinding glare and visual fatigue for drivers. Making our city too bright is a dull idea.
It’s not the LED technology alone that is to blame. There are LED lamps available that provide the energy and maintenance savings the city needs, without the unhealthy, distracting blue glow we’ll all soon be familiar with. I suspect what we have here is a case of lowest bidder wins.
For me? For now? I’ve taken to wearing a hat outside for nighttime walks and lowering the sun visor in my car when I drive.
Ryan McLean
Everett
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