Street lights along two main roads in the East Riding are to be switched off this week as part of a national pilot project to save energy and cut carbon emissions along UK roads.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council was awarded £3.3m to study more environmentally friendly ways of lighting main roads in the future, as more efficient car headlights will make some lampposts redundant.
From Friday 4 April, the lights won’t be switched on at night along:
- the A164 from the Humber Bridge to Willerby and from Cottingham to Skidby,
- the A1079 from Dunswell Roundabout to Ennerdale Bridge.
The trial will run for 12 months and the behaviour of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians will be closely monitored.
Street lights in residential areas are not included in the scheme and will not be affected.
If the trial is proved successful, it could lead to more than a million street lights being switched off in out-of-town areas across the country, saving tonnes of carbon and millions of pounds of public money.
Karl Rourke, the council’s service manager for street lighting, who is leading the project, said: “The East Riding is at the forefront of this innovative project which could lead to a massive reduction in carbon and energy on UK roads.
“We are now at a stage where we can turn off the now not-needed streetlights along two routes, knowing that we can do it safely.
“To make sure the move is being done as safely as possible, we have created and tested a world-first artificial intelligence system that monitors driver behaviour and safety at key points along these two roads.
“The system uses thermal imaging cameras to collect data and tells us how safely drivers are behaving under daylight and nighttime or poor visibility conditions.
“This AI powered system is now active on both routes, and together with physical monitoring, is collecting data and is continuously checking safety for all road users as we switch away from street lighting to the new replacement technologies.”
The section of road along the A1079 will retain some lighting as the council will be switching over from standard street lighting to a new and innovative system of pedestrian-only lighting in the village of a Hayton, near Pocklington, to light the active travel route on both sides of the road.
