Street Lighting

Introduction
Legal References
Street Lighting Standards
Sample Design Standards
Ordinance and Policy Provisions
Rates
Additional Information Resources
Related MRSC Pages
- LED Solid State Lighting
- Light Nuisances - Ambient Light, Light Pollution, Glare - Dark Skies

Introduction

This page provides links to Washington statutes related to street lighting and major legal opinions. The principal street lighting standard manuals are listed and can be purchased from the sponsoring organizations. Sample local government documents are provided as examples and include design standards, street lighting policies, sample rates, and other reference sources.

Legal References

Statutes

Ch. 35.43 RCW - Local Improvement Districts
RCW 35.72.020 - Authorizes street lighting as part of what street latecomer agreements may reimburse
RCW 36.88.015 - County Road Improvement Districts - Additional purposes - construction, installation, improvement, operation, and maintenance of street and road lighting systems for any county roads
RCW 54.16.120 - Local utility districts authorized for providing street lighting
Water-Sewer Districts
- RCW 57.08.060 - Water-Sewer Districts - Powers as to street lighting systems -- Establishment
- RCW 57.16.010 - General comprehensive plan of improvements (4) For a general comprehensive plan for street lighting, the commissioners shall investigate all portions and sections of the district and adopt a general comprehensive plan for street lighting for the district suitable and adequate for present and future needs
RCW 82.80.040 - Street Utility - The provision may include street lighting; however in Covell v. Seattle, 127 Wn.2d 874 (1995) the street utility street utility charge was declared unconstitutional. Seattle adopted a street utility ordinance, but the court held that the street utility charges constitute a property tax, and that they violate article 7, section 1 of the state constitution, because the tax is not uniform.
RCW 87.03.016 - Irrigation Districts - District may provide street lighting — Limitations

Selected Court Decisions

Okeson v. City of Seattle, 150 Wn.2d 540 (2003) – [Street Light Utility] – The question of whether a city has authority to incorporate the expenses of city streetlights within the electrical rates charged to customers of the city's electrical utility depends upon (1) whether providing streetlights is a governmental or a proprietary function of the local government; and, (2) whether the costs imposed upon utility customers are a tax or a fee. In this case the court determined that maintenance of a street lighting system is a governmental function and the street lighting charges imposed on utility ratepayers was not lawfully imposed in accordance with express statutory or constitutional authority. Maintenance of a street lighting system is a governmental function and shifting streetlight costs to ratepayers is designed to raise revenue for the general city budget. Because there is no relationship between electricity used by utility customers and energy used by streetlights, these charges are a tax not a fee.

Attorney General Opinions

AGO 2001 No. 1 - Cities and towns lack the authority to operate their street lighting as a utility or to impose a charge on the city's utility customers for the cost of furnishing street lighting, 01/17/2001

Street Lighting Standards

IESNA American National Standard Practice for Roadway Lighting (ANSl/IES RP-8)
NFPA National Electrical Code (ANSI/NFPA 70)
IEEE National Electrical Safety Code (ANSI C2)
AASHTO Roadway Lighting Design Guide, 2005

Sample Design Standards

Bremerton Public Works and Utilities Engineering Standards, Division Seven, Street Lighting
Ellensburg Development Standards, Section 8, Illumination Standards ) and Illumination Details (), 2011
Kennewick
- Kennewick Standard Specifications and Details, Standard Specifications for Street Light Construction (), Section 6, dated 06/11
- Kennewick Planning and Land Use/Design Standards, Residential Design Standards - Residential Street Lights()
Mill Creek - Design and Construction Standard Plans - See provisions relating to various street lighting
Seattle Right-of-Way Improvements Manual, Ch. 4, Design Criteria - Section 4.16 Street Lighting

Ordinance and Policy Provisions

Bonney Lake
- Bonney Lake Municipal Code Ch. 12.28 - Street Lighting
- Bonney Lake Street Lighting Information ()- Summary on street lighting practices with illustrating documents: street light policy development; street light detail; development checklist; street light criteria; street light priority; street light plan
SeaTac Municipal Code Title 17 - Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design - See various provisions related to street lighting
Pierce County Resolution R2006-138s () - Policy on street illumination; makes modifications to Title 17B and the Manual on Design Guidelines and Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction
Wenatchee Street Illumination Policy ()
Vancouver - Traffic Safety - Street Lighting

Rates

Benton PUD Street Lighting Rates and Security Lighting Rates
Cowlitz County PUD - Schedule 40 Public Street Lighting Service () and Schedule 10 Private Street and Area Lighting(), effective 11/01/2011
Franklin PUD - Street Lighting and Security Lighting
Grant County PUD No. 2 Policies, Rates, and Fees
Lewis County PUD No. 1 - Schedule 5 Security Lighting Service and Schedule 50 Street Lighting Service
Seattle City Light Schedule T Contract Street and Area Lighting Rates -- Streetlights
Tacoma Power Rates - Schedule H-1() Street Lighting and Traffic Signal Service and Schedule H-2 () Private Off Street Lighting Service

Additional Information Resources

Implementation of Decision-Making Tools that Address Light Pollution for Localities Planning Street Lighting (), prepared by the Lighting Research Center, March 2003
Model Lighting Ordinance, prepared by Illumination Engineering Society and International Dark Sky Association, 2011 with Annex A revisions 01/2012
Transportation Lighting and Safety, Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute