696 lights

[cmubryan]

Anyone notice that the freeway light bulbs along 696 just W of Greenfield down to Woodward and possibly beyond have switched almost overnight from the high pressure sodium bulbs to LED. It's odd seeing 696 lit up in bright white light after 22 years of the orange glow.

[bmick67]

I saw workers replacing the bulbs one day last week on my morning and afternoon commutes.

[Lostlegumes]

It's been going on for a few months on Detroit-area freeways.

[JBMcB]

I noticed it earlier this week. I also noticed that a good chunk of the older streetlights are completely out around Greenfield.

I like the new LED lights - they seem to be much more directional than the old models and the light is pleasant. We'll see how it looks when everything is covered with snow.

[detlump]

LEDs are the future, sodium lights will be phased out over time. It's taken a while for LEDs to become cost effective, but finally it is here. I am waiting for LED replacements for 4ft tube lights, that will be nice.

[downtown_racine]

LED's may be the future but T12 fluorescent tubes will be here for a long long time. I mean most of North America is still using Thomas Edison's bulb from over 100 years ago.

Much of my community has been converted to LED. We have a large manufacturer of LED lighting here. It seems a little dimmer on the streets because the light seems o be more focused on the roadway surface and not lighting up the ambient area with a bunch of scattered light pollution.
Falling snow looks a little eerie and with the ground covered with snow the light seems more blue. Our LEDs seem blueish white.

I have not seen a mention of a brand of the lights being used all over Detroit only that Hercules & Hercules Inc is providing many of the lights.
I am personally a big metal halide/mercury vapor fan but those cant be motion controlled and motion controlled outdoor lighting is another new rage for saving energy, driving thru parking ramps here in the middle of the night and the lights turn on as you go. Kinda neat.