![Cats4[1]](http://zhamid.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Cats41.jpg "Cats4[1]")
Sanford Florida was about the size of Milton in 2000 and then again in 2006. I visited my cousin there. One thing struck me: residential streets had half as many street lights as newer ones in Milton do. More interestingly, major ones (similar to Derry Road) had almost no street lights other than on major intersections. It did not make driving unsafe. When there were no cars, you were okay with just your headlights. When there were a lot of cars, a lot of headlights lit up the road anyway. Instead they spent money on “cat’s eyes” that reflected beautifully in headlights and made lane markers more visible than they are in Milton.
The Town of Milton spends 1% of property taxes on street lights. It helps to think of ways to reduce that cost. As an amateur astronomer, here’s what I have to say: “if a street light can be reduced without impacting safety then that streetlight should not be put up”. Repeat that exercise until we are at the minimum number of street lights required. And make sure new lights are solar powered LED lights so we have an even lower operating cost.
Ironically, the Town doesn’t want more trees planted because it is worried about maintaining them, but it has no issues bombarding roads with more street lights than are absolutely necessary. I don’t need major roads that do not have homes fronting on them to light up like Christmas trees.
I have lived in a town of 40000 in western Canada, where they skimped on the sidewalks and the streetlights, reasoning that everyone would drive everywhere.
What it means is that it isn’t as safe for pedestrians and bikers. It keeps people IN their cars, driving 5 blocks for a quart of milk instead of walking. Also in this same town without lights or sidewalks, I first came across the letters AYCE. It took a while to figure out that it stood for All You Can Eat.
My point is, roadways should not be all about cars.