Lighting the LED Revolution

For quite some time, the pedestrian entrance to the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge was very unwelcoming with its low lighting and lack of directional signage. But that changed when some LED lights were added.
 
In May 2008, as a part of the bridge’s 125th birthday celebration, a completely redesigned pedestrian walkway called “This Way” was unveiled, which included LED lights from BetaLED. The permanently installed light art was designed by Tillet Lighting Design and included 50 BetaLED THE EDGE canopy luminaires throughout the walkway.
 
“With these beautiful new signs and lights, visitors will have an easier time locating the Bridge’s pedestrian walkway and breathtaking views, as well as the wonders of DUMBO, the epicenter of ‘hip’ in Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
 
Facts about the installation:

• The EDGE canopy fixtures provide brighter, more uniform light and are a significant improvement in safety and visibility for pedestrians.
• The LED lights provide significant energy savings. The fixtures used for the project consume between 79 W to 128 W, compared to the 188 W consumed by traditional High Pressure Sodium light sources. And with 10 times the life of other lamps, maintenance and replacement costs are significantly reduced.
• Blue acrylic lenses were fitted to several of the fixtures for greater visibility so light can be seen throughout the borough and used as a directional guide for visitors.

Photos by Seth Ely. Used by permission of Tillet Lighting Design Inc.