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Lighting budget: Northwest budgeted $22,500 for campus lighting for the 2008-2009 school year. So far, they've spent about half of that, Vice President of Finance and Support Services Ray Courter said. That money goes toward buying new equipment, such as streetlights, light bulbs or other equipment needed. The electricity needed to power the lights is not included in this budget.
When evaluating new lighting equipment, Courter said the University are sure to choose the most efficient models possible so to keep the costs down.
"We do the best we can with the resources we have available. Hopefully we can increase the budget next year," Courter said. "Unfortunately, not everything is equal. But that is one thing we would resist cutting because it has such a profound impact on campus."
Deficient lighting: As of the last lighting inspection, done earlier this trimester, there are 26 areas on campus with deficient lighting, Campus Safety Director Clarence Green said. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America recommends a minimum of .6 to 1 footcandle. A footcandle measures the light on a surface. These 26 areas on campus have less than .6 footcandle. The darkest spots on campus include College Avenue, the street that runs by Colden Pond and Bearcat Stadium. Also, University Drive, which runs from Mabel Cook to Centennial Drive, has several dark spots, particularly right by the east side of the Administration Building. The intersection of Centennial and University drives was also deemed to have deficient lighting.
What now? Northwest will increase all lighting less than 1 footcandle until it is at least 1 footcandle. Other areas with lighting more than 1 footcandle will not be altered. Total, the University will increase lighting for about 30 areas, Green said. This process has already started, he said. Courter and other officials expect the project to take a year or two. In addition, Northwest will replace all of the high-pressure sodium lights with metal halite lights. Currently, campus has a combination of both kinds of lights; high-pressure sodium are the yellow tinted lights and metal halite are the white lights, Green said. The University also plans to discuss posting signs at the crosswalks, reminding students to look both ways and pedestrians have the right-of-way.
Other factors to consider: In addition to adequate lighting, Campus Safety and other University officials are evaluating other ways to ensure students' safety. The cleanliness of the streetlamps is one issue to consider. As the glass surrounding the light bulb gets dirtier, it becomes harder for the light to shine through. Also, nearby foliage can obstruct lighting, so it must be positioned to give light a clear path.
Alternative ideas: In the past, Northwest has tried illuminating paint for the crosswalks, Green said. The paint was supposed to increase safety as it made crosswalks more visible to both drivers and pedestrians. However, the paint wore off quicker, which meant Northwest had to repaint crosswalks three times as often, Green said. University officials opted to discontinue usage of the illuminating paint because it was not as cost effective. Another considered option was to increase the number of stop signs on campus, especially those at crosswalks. Green said only five or six crosswalks have stop signs. A stop sign at every crosswalk would be possible, he said, but not practical.
What you can do: Green and Courter both stressed several ways students can help ensure safety on campus. Green emphasized pedestrians should always looks both ways before crossing and never assume a car will see them and stop. Courter asked for student concerns and suggestions, saying the University appreciated all feedback on dark spots on campus.
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