Title
Rail-Trail Lighting Standard (B)
Explanation
As the CRA and Public Works Department move forward with the development and enhancement of Gainesville's network of Rails-to-Trails activity paths, there is an increasing need to develop standards that will uniquely identify and brand the trails, as well as ensure quality design across all redevelopment areas. The first element to address branding of the trails was the Rails-to-Trail signage, which was adopted by the CRA Board in February 2008, and later adopted by the City Commission in April 2008. This sign design concept is versatile enough to be used on all the Rails-to-Trails in the network, and is to be implemented to help orient users of the path to their location within the system.
Now, the CRA is in the process of selecting and recommending a lighting fixture that will serve as a standard to safely and attractively illuminate the Rail-Trails. Illumination of trail paths increases safety where night usage is expected and is encouraged for areas of the network that serves college students, commuters, at highway intersections, and in areas where additional nighttime security may be desired. Trail lighting provides visibility of the path direction, surface conditions, obstacles, and at intersections. Having a uniformly lit path allows the user to see obstacles ahead of time, thus increasing the response time to avoid potential conflicts.
When choosing a light fixture, there are several guidelines used in the process that aid in narrowing down the selection. These guidelines can be summarized into the categories of safety, cost, sustainability, and aesthetics. Furthermore, implementation within the City of Gainesville requires that a light fixture be approved by the City Commission and be listed on GRU's inventory of approved fixtures. Taking this into account, an additional selection criterion was established; is the fixture already listed on GRU's inventory?
After review of several fixture...
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