Do you think Hereford street lights should be turned off? (From Hereford Times)

Hereford’s traffic lights are at the root of most of Hereford's traffic problems - its proven time and again when a set goes down how much better the traffic flows. They're running on ancient software which has never been upgraded from when they were controlled from Worcester (maybe they still are?). The Sainsbury/Whitecross Rd junction lights are just ridiculous in the build up of traffic they cause. So, yes, intelligent traffic lights during the day, turned off as Jon suggests at night. It'll be a lot cheaper and more effective than a £30m link road for sure ...

Maybe something on the lines of a flashing amber light to indicate a junction otherwise you are goig to get some people just racing through. They use this system on the continent for turning right if clear.

I must agree, I think that is a fantastic idea. Let's turn off all of the traffic lights and street lights at night, what could possibly go wrong?! In fact, I might try turning off all my lights at home one night when I'm cooking or having a fiddle with the electrics.

Well, at least we don't seem to be having a sudden increase of unprovoked attacks and savage beatings in the city......

Yes, agree with megilleland, flashing amber for turning right is excellent and well tried and tested abroad. Biomech, you're unlikely to be cooking at 3am, when all your lights will be off ...

It depends what they plan doing with the savings, if it's to recruit more overpaid staff then I don't agree.

Hospital workers, workers at several local factories, emergency services, care workers, all have to travel to and from work during the night. OK so your average Herefordian may be tucked up in bed by 11 but this suggestion puts into serious danger the people who do essential work for our community in already unsocial hours. Let's not make that even harder.
Also the amber flashing light thing... how much energy (money) will that save? I think they have to be turned right off to make any significant savings.
Hereford is not a village, it continues working and travelling throughout the night. Also, the first trains and buses leave hours before it gets light.
It's well intentioned but impractical. We need street lighting.

Yes turn them off!! especially the ones at Asda, they can be turned off permanently! as this is the min reason for the traffic a topic being discussed at www.southwyevoice.co
.uk and www.belmontvoice.co.
uk come and join us now FREE and join in the debates!

TwoWheelsGood wrote:
Yes, agree with megilleland, flashing amber for turning right is excellent and well tried and tested abroad. Biomech, you're unlikely to be cooking at 3am, when all your lights will be off ...

I work away on the weekends, often get back about 2am and cook dinner :P

There is potential in the idea, but the potential consequences need to seriously be considered. Boy racers already cut red lights and race around town, this will literally give them an open circuit and people WILL get hurt. And we're seeing an increase in brutal, unprovoked attacks in the city, do you really want to be walking home at night in the pitch black? it's an invitation for trouble.

And as Roger said, what will be done with the savings? I'm sure that us taxpayers won't see any kind of reduction in costs.

Sitting at a red light for minutes in the middle of the night when there isn't another vehicle in sight is a waste of fuel - the potential savings will go straight into our pocket. Saving precious fossil fuel is another bonus. It almost goes without saying that savings to the Council will not make any difference to our council tax bill and so that can be disregarded.

I must be driving different roads to everyone else. I've never had to sit at red lights for minutes, at most, 5-10 seconds. Hardly an inconvenience

Institution of Lighting Professionals Opposes ‘Flawed’ Street Lighting Switch-Offs

The last few weeks have seen considerable debate in the press, media and on television about the increasing number of Local Authorities who are turning their street lights off. As the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) we have our own concerns about these policies, which generally take one of three forms.
• part-night lighting - turning the lights off between, say, midnight and 6.00am
• randomly switching off lights on a permanent basis, so lighting standards are nullified
• dimming the lighting at times of reduced traffic flows.

Flawed Budget Reasoning
The reasons for these switch-offs is generally given as cost savings and carbon emission reductions. We believe that the figures behind these policies are flawed. Local authorities are required to advise their energy supplier of their load profile (i.e. when and how they are using electricity) and their energy tariff is based upon this. Where lighting is on all night, the overall tariff is low, as the lighting uses energy at periods of low demand, which offsets consumption at peak hours, such as 4.00pm to 8.00pm. By changing their load profile and removing consumption during the low demand periods, an authority’s average energy tariff will increase considerably and could negate any savings. This unrecognised effect is not being considered by many authorities, these changes will cost to implement. The effect will be a reduction in service but an energy bill perhaps little different from the existing.
At the same time, there have also been reports of wind farms being paid to go idle, due to low demand during the night-time hours. These switch-off policies will only reduce demand further, thus increasing the down-time costs of wind farms – costs which will, at the end of the day, be picked up by the consumer.

Meeting Performance Requirements
While many authorities are looking to part-night lighting, of greater concern is the approach adopted by authorities such as Milton Keynes, where ‘random’ switching off of lights (e.g. one per double lantern column or one in every three) results in highway lighting installations that conform to no recognisable standard and create potentially unsafe highways. Milton Keynes has already seen two pedestrian deaths in such poorly lit areas - the first of these goes to the coroner’s court in April. Several of these random switch-offs have caused angry residents’ petitions online and demonstrations outside council offices. There have even been threats of residents trying to switch the lights back on themselves.

New Technology is the Long-Term Solution
For the first time in the history of lighting, affordable technology is now available which allows authorities to offer variable lighting on our streets. By monitoring traffic flows, light levels can be raised to provide appropriate lighting levels at peak times, while during quieter periods, they can be lowered. This is in accordance with lighting standards thus providing a safe environment for all whist saving energy and costs.
The ILP advises local authorities to think again, consult with a competent lighting professional and provide lighting that meets the requirements. These flawed, short-term switch-off policies for public lighting are potentially dangerous and socially divisive and in many cases they won’t even succeed in their stated aim of saving money.

Who thought that one up!Turn all Lights Off! Does that include those on Emergency Vehicles,silence Church Bells,sirens on Emergency Vehicles, stop cockerals from crowing,cows from mooing,sheep from bleating and the birds from singing their Dawn Chorus. I cannot see to cook my Dinner at night anymore because they have fitted enviromently friendly lights outside my kitchen window,i have now got to put my kitchen light on,and by doing so, the power station has to increase its output so i can see. The money they save could be put to good use.Shoot all the GULLS that s--t on your shiny motor car, it sets like concrete and lifts the surface of your paintwork, or do it Humainly and oil the eggs,bet they have not done that so far this nesting season,no Amey Officals around Rotherwas where i work YET!,money saved, resurface all roads in HEREFORDSHIRE.Drive into SOUTH WALES,and you dont get that constant feeling of your guts being shaken about,do you.Where does Biomech live, i would like to know,it cant be Herefordshire.If all Traffic Lights were switched from timing sequencing to vehicle recognition after say 19-00hrs,traffic would flow better.Turning off traffic lights will only cause accidents,when there is a power failure on traffic lights,drivers dont approach them with care and caution or am i wrong.Biomech wants to drive over The Greyfriars Bridge.With traffic lights on Red,junction with St martins Street and the A49 southbound,that is towards Ross-on-Wye.Lights turn to Green on said junction,then lights outside Majestic Wines turn to Red for approx 17secs,to allow traffic to flow from Asda to go north A49,South A49 or West A465,so where does he get 5-10secs from,Please feel free to correct me.HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO EXIT ASDA IN OR ON A MOTORISED VEHICLE, cant say on a PEDAL CYCLE,because 95% of cyclists, dont use the roads,but use the pavements instead,so next time your in Hereford in the dark, because there is no street lighting,and all the traffic lights are off,i will be on the pavement driving my car because it will be safer,oh!and no lights showing on my vehicle,or they might be flashing on or off and showing no disregard for pedestrians.What a load of HEREFORD BULL!

^^ wow, someone clearly didn't take their meds this morning o_O