This week with shinblind

[shinblind]

Is it me or does the downtown look more gloomy since the new streetlights were installed.

I never was a fan of the yellow hue from the old sodium lights but the new single fixture lights don't seem to put out an adequate amount of light over a sufficient  area. Perhaps a lot of "savings" switching to the new lights is because they are undersized and don't provide the necessary illumination.

The old fixtures still in place with the sodiumn bulbs in the House of Flavors vicinity seem brighter. I would luv to see these old double fixtures with  new style LED bulbs installed as a comparison to what we currently have. 

It seems as if John Shay didn't do his due diligence when selecting these replacement fixtures by actually seeing them in operation in another town. The few select ones they scattered about to showcase as a demonstration the difference between the new and old lights should have been grouped along the same block to see if their total illumination was sufficient. But hey, instead Shay let some salesman blow smoke up his wazoo about how much money they will save. Sounds like a familiar refrain from the City Manager's Office about not doing due diligence with the taxpayers monies.

Not to put any ideas in Shay's head but more as a shinblind Nostradamus prediction  I see Muskegon is trying to get a $35 annual  assessment per house to fund the city lighting department.

[XLFD]

I was thinking of posting about the same topic, shinblind.  It is optimal for those who want to participate in giving their view for these new lights, since they are fully up the length of James and the downtown area of Ludington Avenue, whereas, the old dual sodium lights are still in operation up near the carferry at the end of South James Street, and the single lamp sodium lights are still arranged the length of Rath Avenue. 

I have three votes that say that the new lighting make the streets seem darker, with more shadows and less ambience, plus they prefer the amber sodium lighting over the new 'white' light.  Two admit that James Street seems creepier now.

Readers, check out all three types of light one of these autumn nights and give us your opinion on the lights.  Remember, shinblind broke the water with information on plug in lights that could have saved electricity and maintenance, and kept the same old fixtures.

[Willy]

The salesman may have blown more than smoke when he pitched his products to Shay. I'll head downtown one of the dark creepy nights to check out the lights and then cast my vote. I went down there yesterday at noon and it looked very bright to me.

[XLFD]

At the noon hour, the old dual lights had the same operating costs as the new lights.

As for the adjectives you used without reference to Shay, I would have to choose "dark creepy" over "very bright" if you had done so. 

[AQUAMAN]

Most of that downtown mecca operates in darkness and absence these days after Labor Day anyhow. Too many closed for season, others closing early due to no people now. Might as well keep the same trend going now, eh? Keep it dark and creepy, so as to fit in with Halloween, and of course, keeping a dim light on the locals paying all the bills, they don't deserve better for safety anyhow. 

[Willy]

I like the white light much better than the orange. There seems to be a sufficient amount of light coming off the new fixtures but I also think the double lights are much more appealing and fit in better with the community. The new lights are retrofitted and look like it. The tops of the poles have been cut off and a mismatched fitting and light fixture has been attached to the top. Whoever approved these damned things sure wasn't using their head. Very poor design and the result  is a cheap looking street light.

[XLFD]

So you're effectively voting that the new lights are more appealing to you over the yellow/orange light lamps going up Rath Street, but less appealing than the double lamps that now only exist near the carferry?  Would I be wrong in surmising that you would prefer the old fixtures with the new white LED lights in them?

[Willy]

That is correct. I would prefer the old fixtures with new white bulbs. These new lamps are nothing more than cobbled messes which, probably, were constructed, after hours, in Shay's attic.

[XLFD]

I will check those new lamps up close to check with your impressions on the bad job of retrofitting, I haven't really done that yet.  My camera has expired just like the Ludington Property Maintenance Code, so my picture taking and sharing capability has disappeared temporarily.  I'm thinking it happened that one time it was at Holman's basement... after hours.  My camera did not have an "unsee" feature.