City Of Duluth Implements New Lighting Policy

Changes will be made to how the City of Duluth will be lit, and it has to do with the color and cost to the taxpayers.

The City of Duluth is announcing a change to its street lighting policy regarding the “color temperature” of lighting – that is, what color the light source appears to the human eye. I am used to seeing orange, which to me doesn't light the streets very well.

New residential streetlights installed within the City of Duluth will have a different color "temperature". This excludes lights at controlled intersections.

As part of efforts to reduce energy usage, many cities have converted streetlights to LED technology. In Duluth, Minnesota Power installed new, downward-facing 4000K fixtures in residential neighborhoods as old light fixtures stopped working. The city noticed that these lights were too white, and overlit the streets.

Keith Hamre, Director of the Planning and Economic Development Department for Duluth, said residents had complaints and the city also had to look at cost of lighting.

This policy change follows two years of public input, in conjunction with Imagine Duluth 2035 and the Superior Street Reconstruction Project, as well as input on other development and transportation projects. The city said they appreciate and welcome all input for city projects in order to make changes.