THE COST OF INADEQUATE STREET LIGHTING

By Chas. J. Stahl, Mgr. Illuminating Engineering Bureau Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, South Bend, Indiana

As indicated by your program, Mr. Wood had planned to talk to you today on "The Cost of Inadequate Street Lighting." However, business developments made it impossible for him to be here, so he asked me to take his place, and first of all to express his deep regrets that he could not attend your meeting.

Street lighting improvements are increasing at a rapid rate both in number and in magnitude, for the nation is becoming conscious of the cost of inadequate lighting. It is natural to expect that we might be slow in arriving at the adequate use of artificial lighting for the efficient illuminants now available are of such recent development.

Only seventy-three years ago homes were lighted with sperm oil. The average home then used 25 candle hours per night, or 9,000 per annum, costing approximately $24.00. Today the average home uses a little more than twenty times as much at about the same cost. In other words, we have doubled twenty times in the last seventy years, whereas in all the preceding ages we hardly doubled once. In street lighting we have had slower progress; furthermore, the necessity for the artificial illumination of streets has greatly increased, whereas in the home our needs are essentially the same as 50 or 100 years ago. The more urgent need for the adequate lighting of our streets has come about, as we all know, by the enormous increase in the volume and speed of street traffic. We did not immediately appreciate the benefits of good street lighting in relation to this traffic and we do not know it all, but we are beginning to realize that nationally we should have a better economic balance between the cost of street lighting and the needless losses resulting from its inadequate use. At one of your past meetings Mr. Wood presented a paper on "The Cost of Adequate Street Lighting." This year he had suggested for a subject the direct opposite, viz.: "The High Cost of Inadequate Street Lighting."

In his Cost of Adequate Street Lighting it was pointed out that no specific formula for the determination of adequate costs can be generally prescribed. Conditions are, of course, not the same in all communities. The costs of providing street lighting services vary. The style of equipment preferred varies. In all cases the purposes for which street lighting is desired are fundamentally the same, but they sometimes vary in rank as to order of importance.

On the other hand, the cost of inadequate street lighting does not vary greatly. Where we have traffic of given volume, speed and density, there is a natural, inevitable traffic accident hazard and loss until we bring to bear what influence we have in the form of traffic control and street lighting, and then there is still some loss, but not so much.

We do not know exactly what our national cost of inadequate street lighting is, but some pretty well founded estimates have been made. It is easy enough to appraise the cost of replacing a wrecked automobile in apparently first-class condition, but we cannot evaluate the economic loss to the community and society as a whole when on a poorly lighted street a preventable accidental fatality occurs.

From an analysis of accurately compiled statistics on traffic accidents in many of our larger cities, it was determined that a certain percentage were directly attributable to inadequate street lighting. This percentage applied to the record for the entire United States and evaluated on a logical economic basis, showed a total preventable accident loss of more than $50,000,000.00, which was at that time, and I think is still, more than the expenditure for all street lighting in the United States.

We have been thinking in terms of the cost of street lighting and this is natural, for we must speak in terms of cost in building budgets and budgets grow without much of a building ef fort. However, if we will at times, stop to consider the cost. of inadequate lighting, we shall be able to reach a better economic balance for determining in what measure funds should be allotted to street lighting.

I have mentioned only the item of traffic accidents. There are equally definite figures showing the potentiality of street lighting in crime reduction. Statistics on this phase of the subject have been presented before your association, so I need

not elaborate. Your street lighting committee has a fund of information available on this subject. I do not know of any effort so far made to determine in dollars and cents what actual saving could be effected in this direction. The problem seems difficult and in all probability can only be roughly estimated; however, I shouldn't be surprised if another total sum of $50,000,000.00 could easily be reached.

These in conservative judgment are some of our costs of inadequate street lighting. Fortunately, good street lighting is gaining in popularity at a very rapid rate. In some cases this growth does not spring from a calm scientific appraisal of its worth, but is rushed as an emergency measure to alleviate distressing conditions of traffic and crime. Improvements so founded are not always handled to best advantage. Many economies are assured through advance planning. Street lighting plans should run far in advance of immediate requirements. In past years the usual practice has been to confine street lighting improvements to limited sections. Just as city planning has in the past been almost wholly confined to scattering about the city a few beauty spots such as civic centers, parks and playgrounds, so has street lighting been scattered through the agency of localized improvements carried out as private developments or in the form of improvement districts. Nearly always the aim has been to boom a restricted area to commercial leadership through the establishment of "white-ways.' The work of so-called improvement districts may be made valuable if regulated under a general improvement plan; but without centralized command the result is haphazard patchwork

A scientifically derived, comprehensive and far-sighted street lighting plan correlated with a City Zoning plan is not easily worked out, but it is worth the effort.

The expenditures necessary for good street lighting can easily be justified by available traffic and crime statistics. There are, however, other benefits which we fail to enjoy where the lighting is inadequate. In residential areas the feeling of safety, comfort and convenience is worth the cost. Real estate promoters know that it increases property values.

Good street lighting presents to the entire public very conspicuous and easily understood evidence of the administration's good works in the community, and we now have a pretty well

cultivated taste for civic beauty. In street lighting, like in many other works, we have had too much temporary construction instead of planning for flexibility along with permanence. Except in local pioneering areas we should consider that temporary construction is of the past.

Some of you may have heard the story of a gentleman who, while inspecting a quarry, made certain inquiries to which he received various answers.

In passing along through the quarry, he asked of the first workman he came to, "Tony, what are you making?"

The answer was, "Four dollars a day."

A little farther on he asked of another workman, "Mike, what are you making?"

Mike answered, "Building stones; I'm cutting building stones of this granite."

Still further on he took notice of another workman who seemed to be applying himself with unusual enthusiasm and energy and he inquired of this workman, "Fritz, what are you making?"

Fritz's answer was, "I am building a cathedral."

I do not wish to appear as an idealist, for I am rather disposed to common thought and view things in their practical and utilitarian worth. There are, however, a great many ornamental and permanent street lighting installations to be designed and built. They can be made to express art and the master's stroke in works of permanence. The present trend. is not only for more adequate street lighting, but for comprehensive, advanced planning, and for construction of a type which in a measure parallels the Cathedral in both Art and Permanence.

DISCUSSION

MR. KLORER: Mr. Chairman, I was wondering whether Mr. Stahl could give us a figure expressed in so many dollars per capita that ought to represent a fair expenditure per year for the city street lighting.

PRESIDENT-ELECT HATTON: Mr. Stahl can you answer that general question?

MR. STAHL: That subject has received much study, and there is a pretty fair' concensus of opinion among the best authorities

that we cannot expect much less than $2.00 per capita per annum to provide adequate street lighting. $2.00 is generally accepted as a good average figure.

MR. KLORER: Would that be for the service only, or including the installation?

MR. STAHL: An expenditure of $2.00 per capita per annum should cover all investment, maintenance, operation and other charges. Naturally the cost runs higher for the main business section than for some of the other sections of the city, but, for a fair general average, adequate modern street lighting can be had at approximately this cost.

PRESIDENT-ELECT HATTON: I might add to Mr. Stahl's discussion my own impressions about inadequate street lighting. I do not think any municipal engineer can travel through the cities of this country very far without being impressed with inadequate street lighting. It appears to me that most of the street lighting, especially in the congested portions of the city, has been done without any thought as to the value of light. You see so many cities with a frosted globe, which undoubtedly deters the light from spreading as it should. While, on the other hand, you find cities with Holophane type of globe which properly reflects the light. It seems to me this has been brought about largely from inadequate consultation with illuminating engineers. Because one city has adopted a certain type of pole or a certain type of lamp, another city does it without any proper advice from those experts who really know how to get the best out of a lighting plant.