The Roadway Lighting Committee is a technical committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) that develops recommended practices for lighting roadways, streets and related areas, including parking facilities.
Its principal document is ANSI/IES RP-8, the recommended practice for the design and maintenance of roadway and parking facility lighting. Guidance for parking lots and garages, once published separately, has been folded into RP-8, so it is the reference most lighting designers use for parking illuminance, uniformity and glare.
Why it matters for parking
- Recommended illuminance and uniformity for surface lots and garages, including higher levels at entrances where eyes adjust from daylight.
- Guidance on glare and vertical illuminance, which affect how well people can see faces and hazards.
- A basis for municipal lighting ordinances and owner design standards. See IES.
The Parkonomics view
Lighting to recommended practice, not to the brightest fixture available, gives a garage that feels safe without the energy bill, glare and light trespass of over-lighting.
Related terms: IES, Illuminance, Glare, Light Pollution, LED Lighting