The USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) featured UTRC Research on the July 2014 UTC Spotlight Newsletter edition. RITA’s UTC spotlight newsletter highlights accomplishments and projects from one UTC every month. The research project entitled; “Leveraging Brightness from Transportation Lighting Systems through Light Source Color: Implications for Energy Use and Safety for Traffic and Pedestrians” was conducted by Dr. John Bullough who is a seniour research scientist at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As part of its study for the Region 2 University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) at the City University of New York, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted human factors studies to investigate responses to light sources having different spectral (color) compositions and to develop a model to predict perceptions of brightness and, therefore, of safety and security under roadway lighting conditions. The model includes inputs from recently discovered visual mechanisms that also influence the eye’s pupil size and circadian responses to light, tying these scientific discoveries to practical lighting engineering recommendations. The model can be used to support the definition of benefit metrics for the specification of roadway lighting that would allow lighting engineers to better address the visual needs of pedestrians at night by taking into account both the spectrum of the light source and the measured light level to be used.

Read the full article at RITA’s website: http://www.rita.dot.gov/utc/sites/rita.dot.gov.utc/files/utc_spotlights…