U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Below are several resources and research documents that you may find useful in learning more about roadway lighting.
Study on Illumination for State Highways [PDF 2.9 MB]
This 2016 report reviewed existing public agency illumination standards domestically and internationally and outlined the difference in designing standards. An overview of existing luminaire technology performance, as well as operational and maintenance characteristics are provided. In addition, available illumination control and spectrum technologies for performance characteristics are summarized. The results of this literature review are useful for design and business case decisions regarding illumination installation, maintenance, and operation. [Publication No. WA-RD 847.1]
Design Criteria for Adaptive Roadway Lighting [HTML, PDF 1.12 MB]
This 2014 report describes an in-depth effort to assess the impact of roadway lighting on the overall safety performance of roadways. The results of this report were used to develop a proposed set of adaptive lighting criteria to assist jurisdictions in making sound safety-based decisions when considering adaptive lighting approaches. This robust analysis of real-world lighting data serves as the foundation for future roadway lighting analyses. [Publication No. FHWA- HRT-14-051]
ANSI/IES Recommended Practice for Design and Maintenance of Roadway and Parking Facility (RP-8-18)
ANSI/IES RP-8-18 is a substantial revision to previous versions of ANSI/IES RP-8 in that it is an aggregation of several IES Standards covering roadway and parking facility lighting. This Standard Practice serves as the basis for design of fixed lighting for roadways, streets, adjacent bikeways, and pedestrian ways. This document is available for purchase from IES
AASHTO Roadway Lighting Design Guide 7th Edition
The 7th Edition of the AASHTO Roadway Lighting Design Guide have been published and is now available for purchase from AASHTO store
The 7th Edition has been revised to reflect current practices in roadway lighting design and provide a general overview of lighting systems from the point of view of State transportation departments recommends minimum design parameters.
NCHRP Research Report 940: Solid-State Roadway Lighting Design, Volume 1: Guidance and Volume 2: Research Overview
The objectives of NCHRP Project 05-22, "Guidelines for Solid-State Roadway Lighting," were (1) to develop more comprehensive guidelines in AASHTO standard format for the application of roadway lighting related to the widespread adoption of SSL and (2) to identify
gaps in knowledge where possible future research will enhance these guidelines. This research complements and supplements the ongoing efforts of the AASHTO Roadway Lighting Committee on the use of SSL systems.
The research produce a solid-state roadway lighting guidance on implementing SSL technology, specifically as it relates to the current AASHTO Roadway Lighting Design Guide (2018) and a complimentary research overview report. For further details on Report 940, please visit the TRB website with the links below for free download.
Light emitting diode (LED) technology has revolutionized the lighting industry. The dimming and instant-on capabilities of these light sources along with their high efficiency have allowed lighting designers to overcome some of the limitations of previous technologies, particularly in roadway lighting environments. However, concerns related to the health and environmental impacts of LEDs have been raised.
The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 968: LED Roadway Lighting: Impact on Driver Sleep Health and Alertness seeks to determine the impact of LED roadway lighting on driver sleep health and alertness. This report provides information for state and local transportation agencies on the potential impact of LED roadway lighting on driver health. Thus, the report will be of immediate interest to staff in these agencies with responsibility for the design and operation of roadway lighting.