Solar-Powered Lighting at 20% luminosity
Solar-Powered Lighting at 100% luminosity
Limiting potential negative environmental impacts to greenway corridors is exceptionally important to Raleigh Parks. For this reason, the lights are not designed to illuminate the trail all night at full brightness. Each light is programmed to activate at dusk and operate at 100% luminosity for the first 2 hours of the evening—the peak period of trail use. After those two hours, the lights dim automatically to 20% luminosity for the remainder of the night, reducing light pollution. Motion-detection technology ensures that if a trail user is present later in the evening, the lights will brighten momentarily before returning to the reduced 20% setting.
Reducing environmental impacts is a core value of the City of Raleigh Parks Department. The decision to use solar power, combined with smart dimming and motion-activation, reflects a commitment to responsible stewardship of the natural corridors that make Raleigh’s greenways so special.
The Parks Department will actively monitor the solar bollards’ performance across seasons and weather conditions and will survey trail users on an ongoing basis to gauge the lights’ effectiveness and gather community feedback. That combination of technical data and real-world user experience will inform decisions about the potential future expansion of trail lighting, where appropriate, on other sections of the Greenway System. For more information about the Raleigh Greenway System, upcoming projects, and community engagement opportunities, visit raleighnc.gov/parks or contact the City of Raleigh Parks Department.