Staff tried to balance many different considerations, but safety and sustainability were two key areas of focus. LED streetlight conversion was identified as a key strategy in the A2Zero Carbon Neutrality Plan. City policy, specifically the Ann Arbor Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan, also prioritizes pedestrian safety. Staff worked to ensure that the proposed streetlights would do so, ultimately deciding that higher color temperatures and wattages are justified along major street locations with mid-block/uncontrolled crosswalks (that is, those without traffic signals or stop signs).
City staff are aware that the color of the light (cooler vs. warmer) can change how people feel about the light, and are sensitive to the desire not to have streetlights be any brighter than necessary: both to be more sustainable (by reducing energy usage and associated costs) and to avoid light pollution. In consideration of all of the above factors, the approach to making streetlight decisions has been one of balance, trying to find the “Goldilocks" light: one that is “just right" in terms of both its brightness and its color temperature.
Staff also had to balance operational and practical limitations given that these streetlights are owned and operated by DTE.