RP-8-00

Reaffirmed
2005

Roadway
Lighting

The
LIGHTING
AUTHORITY ®
 ANSI / IESNA RP-8-00
ANSI Approval Date 6/27/00

American National Standard Practice for Roadway

Lighting

Publication of this Committee

Report has been approved
by the IESNA. Suggestions for
revisions should be directed
to the IESNA.

Prepared by:

The Standard Practice Subcommittee of

the IESNA Roadway Lighting Committee
Copyright 1999 by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Approved by the IESNA Board of Directors, August 8, 1999, as a Transaction of the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America.

Approved June 27, 2000 by the American National Standards Institute, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in any electronic retrieval system
or otherwise, without prior written permission of the IESNA.

Published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, 120 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005.

IESNA Standards and Guides are developed through committee consensus and produced by the IESNA Office
in New York. Careful attention is given to style and accuracy. If any errors are noted in this document, please for-
ward them to Rita Harrold, Director Educational and Technical Development, at the above address for verification
and correction. The IESNA welcomes and urges feedback and comments.

ISBN # 0-87995-160-5

Printed in the United States of America.

Prepared by the Standard Practice Subcommittee of the IESNA Roadway Lighting Committee

Standard Practice IESNA Roadway Lighting

Subcomittee Committee

James A. Havard, Subcomittee Chair John J. Mickel, Chair

B. Ananathanarayanan,
W. Adrian Chair 1996-98
A.P. Allegretto
J.D. Armstrong W. Adrian
J.A. Bastianpillai A.P. Allegretto*
J.L. Bond S.W. Annoh*
P.C. Box J.B. Arens
R.A. Bradford J.D. Armstrong
J.J. Buraczynski J.A. Bastianpillai
K.A. Burkett J. Bodanis*
A. Cheng J.L. Bond*
R.B. Chong P.C. Box
V. Cimino R.A. Bradford*
R.D. Clear R.J. Broadbent*
J.E. Degnan J.J. Buraczynski
Z. Durys K.A. Burkett
D.G. Garner J.C. Busser
A.S. Goel E. Cacique*
R.C. Gupta M.G. Canavan
J.M. Hart V.F. Carney
G.A. Hauser R.A. Catone*
W.A. Hughes T.J. Chapman*
M.S. Janoff B.T. Chau*
M.E. Keck D. Chaudhuri*
D. Keith A. Cheng*
A. Ketvirtis R.B. Chong
A.S. Kosiorek V. Cimino
J. Kroll R.D. Clear
I. Lewin P. Contos
C.H. Loch C.W. Craig
P.J. Lutkevich D.L. Crawford*
D. Mace M.D. Crossland*
M. Maltezos W. Daiber
J. McCormick** J.E. Degnan
S.W. McKnight N. Dittmann*
J.J. Mickel Z. Durys*
R.G. Monsoor G. Duve*
S. Moonah W.H. Edman**
E. Morel J.W. Edmonds*
P.A. Mowczan G.A. Eslinger
H. Odle K. Fairbanks*
C.A. Oerkvitz D.H. Fox*
D.W. Okon M. Freedman*
E.S. Phillips D.G. Garner*
P.P. Sabau R. Gibbons*
N.A. Schiewe A.S. Goel*
R.N. Schwab C. Goodspeed*
R.E. Stark W.C. Gungle*
G.J. Stelzmiller R.C. Gupta
C.P. Watson R.L. Hamm
J.M. Hart H. Odle
J.A. Havard C.A. Oerkvitz
G.A. Hauser* D.W. Okon*
T.S. Hester* E.S. Phillips*
W.A. Hughes J.L. Pimenta*
D.E. Husby* G.P. Robinson*
M.S. Janoff M.J. Robinson*
J.E. Jewell* A.S. Rose
M.E. Keck** E.C. Rowsell
D. Keith N.A. Schiewe
A. Ketvirtis R.N. Schwab
A.S. Kosiorek* B.L. Shelby**
J. Kroll* A.D. Silbiger*
R. LeVere J. Simard
I. Lewin R.L. Sitzema, Jr.
C.H. Loch G.E. Smallwood
P.J. Lutkevich R.E. Stark
D. Mace G.J. Stelzmiller*
D.R. Macha* D.C. Strong*
M. Maltezos* H.A. Van Dusen
J. McCormick R. Vincent
S.W. McKnight R.P. Vogel*
J.F. Meyers V.H. Waight
C. Miller* J.D. Walters
D.R. Monahan C.P. Watson
R.G. Monsoor J. Weaver*
S. Moonah* S. Wegner*
W.E. Morehead* A. Williams*
E. Morel R.R. Wylie
H.D. Mosley** R. Wynn*
P.A. Mowczan
K. Negash* *Advisory Member
**Honorary Member
 Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1.0 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Purpose of this Standard Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Purpose of Roadway Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Visual Components of the Driving Task. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 Means of Nighttime Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.5 Night/Day Accident Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.6 Background for Design Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.7 Energy Management Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.8 Organization of the Standard Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.0 Classification Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.1 Roadway, Pedestrian Walkway, and Bikeway Classifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Pedestrian Conflict Area Classifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.3 Pavement Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4 Performance of Luminaire Light Distributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4.1 Luminaire Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.4.2 Luminaire Cutoff Classifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

3.0 Design Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3.1 Illuminance Criteria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2 Luminance Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.3 Small Target Visibility (STV) Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.4 High Mast Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.5 Pedestrian and Bikeway Design Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.5.1 Pedestrian Areas and Bikeways Design Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.5.1.1 High Pedestrian Conflict Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.5.1.2 Medium Pedestrian Conflict Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.5.1.3 Low Pedestrian Conflict Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.5.1.4 Pedestrian Bridges over Roadways,
Underpasses, and Mid-Block Crosswalks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.5.2 Calculations Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.6 Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.6.1 Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.6.2 Vehicular Traffic Volumes and Conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.6.3 Pedestrian Visibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.6.4 Recommended Illuminance for Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4.0 Design Considerations of Public Right-of-Way Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

4.1 Design of Public Right-of-Way Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.2 Appearance and Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.3 Visual Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.4 Integration with Non-Lighting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.5 Vertical Surface Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.6 Glare and Sky-Glow Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.7 Transition Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
 Contents

Annex A – Calculation and Measurement Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Annex B – Design Guides and Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Annex C – Glare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Annex D – Situations Requiring Special Consideration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Annex E – Light Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Annex F – Description and Background of STV Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Annex G – Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Annex H – References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
 ANSI / IESNA RP-8-00

FOREWORD national standards, experience, and equipment tech-

nology.
(This Foreword is not part of the American
National Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting, An American National Standard represents the con-
ANSI/IESNA RP-8-2000, but is included for infor- sensus of all groups having an essential interest in the
mational purposes only.) provisions of the Standard Practice. The IESNA, as a
sponsor, must have the viewpoints of groups interest-
This American National Standard Practice for ed in roadway lighting represented on the Roadway
Roadway Lighting has been approved under the rules Lighting Committee.
of procedure of the American National Standards
Institute and under the sponsorship of the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). This 1.0 INTRODUCTION
document has been revised from the 1993 Practice
and introduces the concept of Visibility Level (VL)
(refer to Annex A and Annex F) and its measurement 1.1 Purpose of this Standard Practice
means, Small Target Visibility (STV). The illuminance
and luminance (reflected light) methods have been The primary purpose of this Standard Practice is to
retained from the 1993 practice. serve as the basis for design of fixed lighting for road-
ways, adjacent bikeways, and pedestrian ways. The
During the 70-year existence of the IESNA Com- Standard Practice deals entirely with lighting and
mittee on Roadway Lighting, the night use of public does not give advice on construction. Its purpose is to
ways has grown greatly. Traffic has changed in speed provide recommended practices for designing new
and density. Studies have established a substantial continuous lighting systems for roadways. It is not
relationship between good fixed lighting and traffic intended to be applied to existing lighting systems
safety. In addition, understanding of the principles of until such systems are redesigned. It has been pre-
good lighting has advanced. The following earlier pub- pared to advance the art, science, and practice of
lications of the committee reflect progress of the road- roadway lighting in North America. Roadway lighting
way lighting technique through the years. includes pedestrian and bikeway lighting when it is
associated with the public right-of-way (see Figure 2).
• Principles of Streetlighting 1928
The decision to provide or upgrade roadway lighting
• Code of Streetlighting 1930
at a particular location should be made on the basis
• Code of Streetlighting 1935 of a study of local conditions. Once a decision has
• Code of Streetlighting 1937 been made to provide lighting, this publication pro-
• Recommended Practice of Streetlighting 1940 vides the basis for designing an appropriate system.
• Recommended Practice of Street
1.2 Purpose of Roadway Lighting
and Highway Lighting 1945
• American Standard Practice for Street The principal purpose of roadway lighting is to pro-
and Highway Lighting 1947 duce quick, accurate, and comfortable visibility at
night. These qualities of visibility may safeguard, facil-
• American Standard Practice for
itate, and encourage vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Street and Highway Lighting 1953 Every designer should provide for those inherent
• American Standard Practice for qualities required by the user. A very important con-
Roadway Lighting 1963 sideration is that of making streets and highways use-
• American Standard Practice for ful during hours of darkness as well as during the day-
time. Where good visibility is provided through light-
Roadway Lighting 1972 ing, efficient night use can be made of the large
• American Standard Practice for investments in roadways and motor vehicles. Thus,
• Roadway Lighting 1977 the proper use of roadway lighting as an operative tool
• American Standard Practice for provides economic and social benefits to the public
including:
Roadway Lighting 1983
• American Standard Practice for (a) Reduction in night accidents, attendant human
Roadway Lighting (reaffirmed) 1993 misery, and economic loss
(b) Aid to police protection and enhanced sense of
The present Practice has evolved from these earlier personal security
documents, and considers the latest research, inter- (c) Facilitation of traffic flow

1
ANSI / IESNA RP-8-00

(d) Promotion of business and the use of public facili- Experience has demonstrated that under many cir-
ties during the night hours cumstances prevailing in North America, it is possible
to light urban and suburban streets and highways, so
This Standard Practice is for fixed lighting of the dif- as to reduce the loss of lives and injuries attributable
ferent kinds of public roads, including adjacent pedes- to inadequate visibility. Furthermore, the IESNA
trian walkways and associated bikeways, of a quality Roadway Lighting Committee is of the opinion that the
considered appropriate to modern requirements for lighting of streets and highways generally is econom-
night use. The practicability and economy of roadway ically practical. These preventive measures can cost a
lighting has been demonstrated. Where appropriate community less than the accidents caused by inade-
lighting has been installed, the result has often been quate visibility.
a marked reduction in night accidents. Pedestrian and
vehicular traffic has also been expedited. 1.6 Background for Design Criteria

1.3 Visual Components of the Driving Task Research has shown that lighting roadways with sig-
nificant nighttime traffic volume will reduce nighttime
In order to drive a vehicle on a paved roadway with accidents. (See Annex H, references 1, 2, and 3.)
reasonable confidence, speed, and safety, a driver Recent research is concentrating on visibility mea-
must visually determine the following: surements and results are promising (see Annex F).
This Standard Practice includes three criteria for
(a) That the pavement ahead is clear of defects and designing continuous lighting systems for roadways.
obstacles for a reasonable distance These are illuminance, luminance, and Small Target
(b) The locations of the lane or roadway edges, with- Visibility (STV). Illuminance based design is a simple
in which it is intended to maintain the lateral posi- design approach, which has been historically used in
tion of the vehicle roadway lighting. It calculates the amount of light on
(c) The location and meaning of the traffic control de- the roadway surface. Luminance based design calcu-
vices and signs that affect the “rules of the road” lates the amount of light directed toward the driver
(d) The present location and future course of moving and predicts the luminance of the roadway. STV is a
objects on or near the roadway visibility metric, which is used to determine the visibil-
(e) The present position of the driver’s own vehicle re- ity of an array of targets on the roadway and includes
lative to his immediate destination, other objects, the calculation of target and background luminance,
and intended turning locations adaptation level, and disability glare. The designer
should be familiar with each criterion and may choose
1.4 Means of Nighttime Lighting the one that meets the needs of the particular situa-
tion and design restraints. Consideration may be
The nighttime lighting for providing visibility or guid- given to meeting the requirements of two or all of
ance for the driver can come from up to four sources: these design criteria.

(a) Vehicle signals and headlighting systems as req- The illuminance design approach has been shown to
uired by law be of benefit in reducing pedestrian accidents, reduc-
(b) The fixed lighting system covered by this Standard ing fear of crime, and the promotion of business and
Practice use of public roads at night. The lighting design for
(c) Traffic signal lights and lighted or retroreflective sidewalks, bikeways, intersections, and high mast
signs installations is often best achieved by the use of the
(d) Extraneous off-roadway light sources illuminance criterion. Luminance has been used inter-
nationally by the CIE4 as the primary method for
1.5 Night/Day Accident Relationship designing major vehicle traffic routes. STV is a new
approach to improve driver safety, which incorporates
Darkness brings increased hazards to users of recent studies of human visual processes. There is
streets and highways because it reduces the distance currently an active international committee working to
they can see. The nighttime fatal accident rate on develop a visibility recommendation for the design of
unlighted roadways is about three times the daytime traffic routes. (CIE Division 4, Technical Committee
rate, based on proportional vehicular kilometers/miles 4.36, Visibility Design for Roadway Lighting.)
of travel. This ratio can be reduced when proper fixed
lighting is installed because these lighting systems The other parameter in roadway lighting that affects
reveal the environment beyond the range of the vehi- visual performance is the glare from the fixed lighting
cle headlights and ameliorate glare from oncoming system. Disability Glare (Veiling Luminance) has been
vehicles by increasing the eye’s adaptation level. quantified to give the designer information to identify
the veiling effect of the glare as a ratio of the maxi-