To better understand LED street lighting and potential impacts to sensitive species, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) funded a study to develop the information necessary for Caltrans practitioners to appropriately assess lighting impacts for varied animal taxa and provide avoidance and minimization guidelines to mitigation potential impacts. Including a secondary goal of developing a set of standardized measure able to incorporate in safety lighting projects where protected species habitat is present.
The study focused on a survey of the state of practice in State Department of Transportation, interviews with road ecology practitioners/subject matter specialists, and review of existing literature pertaining to LED and wildlife. Results of the preliminary investigation indicate the need for further investigate implementing LED solutions within, and adjacent to, sensitive habitat.