---
title: "Street Light"
url: "https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/street-light/"
id: "ELM-STL-26"
description: "A pole-mounted luminaire providing illumination for the roadway, typically mounted at a height and spacing designed primarily to serve vehicle visibility and drivers, though its light also reaches the surrounding sidewalk and public realm."
updated: "2026-09-26"
---

# Street Light

`ELM-STL-26`

Recommended Element

Street Light

A pole-mounted luminaire providing illumination for the roadway, typically mounted at a height and spacing designed primarily to serve vehicle visibility and drivers, though its light also reaches the surrounding sidewalk and public realm.

## Why this pattern exists

Adequate roadway illumination reduces nighttime crash risk by improving driver visibility of the roadway edge, other vehicles, and pedestrians; this pattern exists to document the mounting height, spacing, and output considerations specific to vehicle-oriented lighting, distinct from the pedestrian-scale lighting that serves a different visual task.[1]

## Key considerations

-   Mounting height and spacing should follow established illumination standards for the roadway’s classification and speed, not a uniform default across all street types
-   Light spillover and glare onto adjacent properties should be minimized through fixture selection and shielding
-   Uniformity of illumination along a corridor matters more than peak brightness at any single point; dark gaps between light poles undermine the pattern’s purpose

## Related patterns

[Pedestrian-scale Lighting](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/pedestrian-scale-lighting.md) (ELM-PSL-27) (the companion lighting pattern serving a different visual task and height); relevant Segment patterns this lighting serves

## References

1.  Legal / regulatory [ANSI/IES RP-8-25, "Lighting Roadway and Parking Facilities." Current American National Standard for mounting height, spacing, and illuminance-level tables by roadway classification.](https://store.ies.org/product/recommended-practice-lighting-roadway-and-parking-facilities/)