Evaluation of Public Perceptions of p LED Lighting Trials
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woolcottresearch Evaluation of Public Perceptions of p LED Lighting Trials Prepared for: City of Sydney and The Climate Group F b February 2011 2011 woolcottresearch Background As part of a wider global study, The City of Sydney is trialling the conversion of public lighting to LED technology in four key public spaces. This City of Sydney trial is being coordinated with similar trials in various other international cities such as London, London Kolkata, Kolkata New York, York Hong Kong, Kong and others. Research Design woolcottresearch Two of the four locations were selected for assessmentt prior i to t the th launch l h off Phase Ph 2 off the th lighting trials. The locations of Martin Place and Alexandria Park were nominated by the City of Sydney in order to provide a comparison of views from high volume pedestrian traffic in a CBD location, versus low volume pedestrian traffic in a residential area. In Martin Place, intercept surveys provide the ability to capture respondents in the specific area at a time when both the LED lighting and the incumbent lighting are active. In Alexandria Park, being a residential location, on‐ site interviewing was restricted to after 8:30pm. Therefore, telephone interviews were deemed the more effective and appropriate method to obtain a cross‐section of local residents. woolcottresearch Methodology In Martin Place, Place n=50 intercept interviews were conducted. Interviewers were stationed at either end of Martin Place, covering various different LED lighting types from George St to Castlereagh St. Respondents were asked to compare both the LED lights and the g incumbent lights. For Alexandria Park, 2000 flyers with detailed maps of respective lighting, were distributed by the City of Sydney into homes bounded by Sydney Park Rd, Rd Bourke St and Bourke St, Elizabeth St, Redfern St, and Railway Parade. Residents were telephoned 3‐5 days subsequently to allow time for them to pass through Alexandria Park and view the relevant lights in operation. A series of n=34 telephone interviews were conducted. woolcottresearch Respondent Profile O Ownership hi off property t Total ((n=84)) % Home owned/being paid off 58 Rented 36 Other 5 Refused 1 Children in household I Income Total ((n=84)) % $2,000 or more/wk ($104,000 or more p.a) 31 $1,300-$1,999/wk ($67,600-$103,999 p.a) 18 $800-$1,299/wk $ $ , ($41,600-$67,599 ($ , $ , p.a)) p 17 $400-$799/wk ($20,800-$41,599 p.a) 11 $1-$399/wk (up to $20,799 $20 799 p.a) p a) 6 Yes 23 Prefer not to say 12 No 77 Don’tt know Don 6 Combined Findings woolcottresearch Frequency of Passing Through Location 69% passed through Martin Place or Alexandria Park more often than once a week. 33 36 23 5 Almost daily (but not weekends) Once per week Once per month or less Once per year or less Q1. On average, how often would you say you pass through Martin Place/ Alexandria Park (at night)? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) 4 Not at all/ this is the first time woolcottresearch Impact of LED Lights on Visibility at Night Vast majority (76%) indicated an improvement in visibility at night with the new lights at night with the new lights. 10 2 12 Don't know Strongly reduce 30 Slightly reduce NETT Improve 76% 46 About the same Slightly improve Strongly improve All respondents Q3. Do you feel that the new LED lights installed improve or reduce your general visibility at night? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) woolcottresearch Impact of LED Lights on Safety Majority (70%) also felt safer with the new lights. 2 4 Don't know 24 Much less safe A little less safe 35 NETT Safer 70% About the same A little safer 36 Much safer All respondents Q4. Do you feel more or less safe when walking where the new lights were installed? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) woolcottresearch Overall Feelings About Newly Installed Lights Clearly most respondents liked the new lights. g Dislike, 4% Don't know/not sure, 5% Like, 92% Q6. So overall, would you say that you like or dislike the newly installed lights? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) Importance p of New Streetlight g Features 6 5 10 20 13 11 8 5 4 4 5 5 2 26 15 woolcottresearch Don't know 14 7 Not important at all 23 Quite unimportant p NETT Important 78% 58 NETT Important 78% 52 58 NETT Important 71% NETT Important 73% Neither important nor unimportant Quite important 48 Very important Energy gy efficiencyy Safetyy Reducingg air pollution p Q7. “It is understood that the newly installed pathway and streetlights are considered to be more energy efficient, save money to operate, and they reduce air pollution” Taking this into account, how important would you say the following factors are from 1 to 5? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) Savingg moneyy woolcottresearch Preference for New Lights vs. Old Lights Eight in ten respondents preferred the new lights p g 6 4 8 Nore sure/don't know 21 Strongly prefer old lights Slightly prefer g old lights NETT Prefer New lights 81% 60 No preference Slightly prefer new lights Strongly g y prefer p new lights All respondents Q8. What about in comparison to the old lights? Do you prefer the new lights that were installed recently or do you prefer the old lights they replaced? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) Reasons for Preferring Lights Reasons for Preferring New Lights woolcottresearch Total % (n=68) Light given off is brighter 56 Improves visibility- can see better at night 54 Less energy used or more environmentally friendly 43 Look more natural- I like the colours better 37 Helps improve the area in general 24 Less glare 16 They look better than the old lights 9 Improves the safety of the park 7 Less flicker or noise 6 Other 4 Reasons for Preferring Old Lights Total % (n=4*) I like the colour of the old lights better 100 Old lights were brighter 25 Replacing the old lights costs extra money 25 Other 25 Q9. In your own words, please explain briefly why you prefer the new lights? Base: All respondents who prefer new lights (n=68); Respondents who prefer old lights (n=4 Likelihood of Passing Through Martin Place / Using Alexandria Park in the Future woolcottresearch 17 Not answered 4 1 A lot less likely A little less likely 44 About the same A little more likely 19 NETT More Likely 34% 15 All respondents Q11. Considering the new lighting, would you say you are more or less likely to pass through Martin Place at night/use Alexandria Park in the future? And is that a lot more likely or a little more likely? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) A lot more likely woolcottresearch Feelings About LED Lights Across City of Sydney 2 2 4 Not sure/don't know 20 Strongly against Slightly against NETT In favour 90% 70 Neither in favour/nor against Slightly in favour Strongly in favour All respondents Q12. And finally, would you say you’re in favour of or against the council rolling out similar LED lighting across the City of Sydney as they have done in Martin Place/Alexandria Park? Base: All respondents Martin Place (n=50), Alexandria Park (n=34) Nine in ten respondents were in favour of rolling out the lights across the City of Sydney. Summary and Conclusions The majority of respondents across both locations – Martin Place and Alexandria Park found the new lights appealing (92%). More specific respondents felt the lights improved visibility (76%) and they felt safer (70%). The following streetlight features were also considered important: ‐ Energy efficiently ‐78%, E ffi i tl 78% ‐ Safety – 78%, ‐ Reducing air pollution – 73%, and ‐ Saving money (71%). Saving money (71%) Eight Eight in ten preferred the new lights to the old lights in ten preferred the new lights to the old lights ‐ with the remainder either unsure or had no preference either way. Summary and Conclusions (continued) The main reasons for liking the lights were as follows: ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ the light was brighter, they improved visibility, they used less energy used/more environmentally friendly, the light was more natural h l h l The vast majority of respondents interviewed were in favour of rolling out the LED across the City of Sydney area (88%). th Cit f S d (88%) Appendix 1: Martin Place Findings woolcottresearch woolcottresearch Frequency of Passing Through Martin Place 38 30 24 4 Almost daily (but not weekends) Once per week Once per month or less Once per year or less Q1. On average, how often would you say you pass through Martin Place (at night)? Base: All respondents (n=50) 4 Not at all/ this is the first time woolcottresearch Incidence of Noticing LED Lights in Martin Place 94 6 Noticed lights Had not noticed lights Q2. Other than right now, have you at any time noticed that new LED overhead street lights had been installed in the Martin Place area since November 2009? Base: All respondents (n=50) woolcottresearch Impact p of LED Lights g on Visibilityy at Night g and Safetyy 2 2 8 2 Don't know 18 12 Strongly reduce Slightly reduce 36 42 NETT Safer 78% NETT Improve 78% About the same Slightly improve 42 Visibility 36 Safety Q3. Do you feel that the new LED lights installed improve or reduce your general visibility at night? Base: All respondents (n=50) Strongly improve woolcottresearch Perceived Attractiveness of New Lights g in Martin Place Don't know 6 2 10 Much less attractive 22 Slightly less attractive 20 About the same NETT More M attractive 60% 40 M i Pl Martin Place Q5. In terms of the design or “look” of the new lights, do you think the new lights are more or less attractive than the old ones? Base: All respondents (n=50) Slightly g y more attractive Much more attractive woolcottresearch Overall Feelings About Newly Installed Lights Dislike, 2% Don't know/not sure, 8% Like, 90% Q6. So overall, would you say that you like or dislike the newly installed lights? Base: All respondents (n=50) woolcottresearch Importance of New Streetlight Features 10 4 20 12 4 2 4 6 26 16 22 10 16 Don'tt know Don 4 2 4 Not important at all2 16 Quite unimportant 26 NETT Important 74% 52 NETT Important 74% 48 54 NETT Important 68% NETT Important 70% Neither important nor unimportant Quite important 42 Very important Energy gy efficiencyy Safetyy Reducingg air pollution p Q7. “It is understood that the newly installed pathway and streetlights are considered to be more energy efficient, save money to operate, and they reduce air pollution” Taking this into account, how important would you say the following factors are from 1 to 5? Base: All respondents (n=50) Savingg moneyy woolcottresearch New Lights vs vs. Old Lights Nore sure/don't know 8 6 8 Strongly prefer old lights 22 Slightly prefer old lights No preference NETT Prefer New lights 78% 56 Slightly g y prefer p new lights Strongly prefer new lights M i Pl Martin Place Q8. What about in comparison to the old lights? Do you prefer the new lights that were installed recently or do you prefer the old lights they replaced? Base: All respondents (n=50) woolcottresearch Reasons for Preferring Lights Reasons for Preferring New Lights Total (n=39) % Improves visibility- can see better at night 69 Light given off is brighter 54 Look more natural- I like the colours better 44 Less energy used or more environmentally friendly 44 Helps improve the area in general 36 Less glare 18 Less flicker or noise 10 Reasons for Preferring Old Lights Total (n=3*) % I like the colour of the old lights better 100 Old lights were brighter 100 Replacing the old lights costs extra money 33 Q9. In your own words, please explain briefly why you prefer the new lights/old lights? Base: Respondents who prefer new lights (n=39):Respondents who prefer old lights (n=3) woolcottresearch Likelihood of Passing Through Martin Place in the Future Not answered 28 A lot less likely 2 A little less likely About the same 46 A little littl more likely lik l 14 10 M i Pl Martin Place Q11. Considering the new lighting, would you say you are more or less likely to pass through Martin Place at night in the future? And is that a lot more likely or a little more likely? Base: All respondents (n=50) NETT More M Likely 24% A lot more likely woolcottresearch Feelings About LED Lights Across City of Sydney Not sure/don't know 4 2 4 Strongly against 24 Slightly against NETT In favour 88% 64 Neither in favour/nor against Slightly g y in favour Strongly in favour M i Pl Martin Place Q12. And finally, would you say you’re in favour of or against the council rolling out similar LED lighting across the City of Sydney as they have done in Martin Place? Base: All respondents (n=50) Appendix 2: Al Alexandria d i Park P k Fi Findings di woolcottresearch woolcottresearch Recalled Receiving Flyer in the Mail Not sure/don't know, 9% No, 71% Q1. Have you received a flyer in the mail this week regarding a new LED lighting initiative from the City of Sydney? Base: All respondents (n=34) Yes, 21% woolcottresearch Frequency of Passing Through Alexandria Park 44 26 21 6 Once per week Almost daily (but not Once per month or less Once per year or less weekends) Q2. On average, how often would you say you pass through Alexandria Park (at night)? Base: All respondents (n=34) 3 Not at all/ this is the first time woolcottresearch Noticed LED Lights 100 0 Noticed lights Q3. Have you at any time in the past year, noticed that new LED overhead pathway lights had been installed in the area of Alexandria Park since November 2009? Base: All respondents (n=34) Had not noticed lights woolcottresearch Impact of LED Lights on Visibility at Night Don't know 12 3 12 Strongly reduce Slightly reduce About the same 53 NETT Improve 74% Sli htl iimprove Slightly Strongly improve 21 Al Alexandria di P Parkk Q3. Do you feel that the new LED lights installed improve or reduce your general visibility at night? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch Impact of LED Lights on Safety 3 Don't know 6 Much less safe 32 A little less safe About the same 35 NETT Safer 59% A littl little safer f Much safer 24 Al Alexandria di P Parkk Q4. Do you feel more or less safe when walking where the new lights were installed? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch Overall Feelings About Newly Installed Lights Dislike, 6% Like, 94% Q6. Overall, would you say that you like or dislike the newly installed lights? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch Importance of New Streetlight Features 3 6 3 6 6 6 3 3 6 6 6 3 9 Don't know 12 Not important at all 18 Quite unimportant 15 NETT Important 86% 68 NETT Important 85% 59 65 Neither important nor unimportant NETT Important 80% NETT Important Quite important 74% 56 Very important Energy gy efficiencyy Safetyy Reducingg air pollution p Savingg moneyy Q7. “It is understood that the newly installed pathway and streetlights are considered to be more energy efficient, save money to operate, and they reduce air pollution” Taking this into account, how important would you say the following factors are from 1 to 5? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch New Lights vs vs. Old Lights 3 Nore sure/don't know 3 9 Strongly prefer old lights 21 Slightly prefer old lights NETT Prefer New lights 86% 65 No preference Slightly g y prefer p new lights Strongly prefer new lights Al Alexandria di P Parkk Q8. What about in comparison to the old lights? Do you prefer the new lights that were installed recently or do you prefer the old lights they replaced? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch Reasons for Preferring Lights New Lights g Total ((n=29)) % Light given off is brighter 59 Less energy used or more environmentally friendly 41 Improves visibility- can see better at night 34 Look more natural- I like the colours better 28 They look better than the old lights 21 Improves the safety of the park 17 Less glare 14 Helps improve the area in general 7 Other 10 Old Lights Li ht I like the colour of the old lights better Q9. In your own words, please explain briefly why you prefer the new lights/old lights? Base: Respondents who prefer new lights (n=29); Respondents preferring old lights (n=1). Total ( =1*) (n=1*) % 100 woolcottresearch Likelihood of Using Alexandria Park in the Future 6 3 Not answered A lot less likely 41 A little less likely About the same 26 NETT More Likely 50% A little littl more likely lik l A lot more likely 24 Al Alexandria di P Parkk Q11. Considering the new lighting, would you say you are more or less likely to use Alexandria Park in the future? And is that a lot more likely or a little more likely? Base: All respondents (n=34) woolcottresearch Feelings About LED Lights Across City of Sydney 03 3 Not sure/don't know 15 Strongly against Slightly against 79 NETT In favour 94% Neither in favour/nor against Slightly g y in favour Strongly in favour Al Alexandria d i Park P k Q12. And finally, would you say you’re in favour of or against the council rolling out similar LED lighting across the City of Sydney as they have done in Alexandria Park? Base: All respondents (n=34)
