A new roadway lighting measurement system

Past studies have shown that the level of roadway lighting is an important factor for nighttime roadway safety. To evaluate roadway lighting systems and maintain their functionality, it is essential to perform field lighting measurements. Currently, field measurements of roadway lighting systems are often conducted by handheld light meters using a short sample section. The evaluation of an entire corridor or a longer section is difficult when using the traditional manual measurement methods. This paper addresses this difficulty by developing a new lighting measurement system that can be used to collect massive amounts of lighting level data in an efficient, safe, and effective manner. The system consists of a light meter, a distance measurement instrument (DMI), a computer, software, and an electronic converter circuit to connect the computer and other hardware. Software was developed for the communication link between the computer and the light meter, and to record both the distance and illuminance data. The system was calibrated and validated with the field data. The new system will not only reduce future data collection costs, but also improve safety for field data collection personnel. The system has been approved for use to collect illuminance data on Florida state roads greater than or equal to 250-miles in length.