ITE Webinar: Roadway Lighting as a Safety Countermeasure

When: September 29, 2026 | 3:00 -- 4:00 PM ET

This webinar is led by the ITE Roadway Design Committee.

Webinar Description:

Roadway lighting plays a critical role in transportation safety by improving visibility, enhancing driver recognition of pedestrians and hazards, and supporting safe navigation at night. Research and experience from State and Local Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have shown that lighting can serve as a low-cost effective safety countermeasure, with demonstrated benefits across a range of roadway contexts and applications.

This webinar, led by the ITE Traffic Engineering Council (TENC) Roadway Design Subcommittee, will feature a panel of DOT representatives discussing how lighting is considered and implemented as part of transportation safety strategies. Building on recent DOT-led efforts, panelists will share how agencies are using data-driven approaches to identify high-risk locations, prioritize lighting improvements, and integrate lighting into broader safety programs such as Strategic Highway Safety Plans.

Topics will include systemic versus site-specific safety applications, balancing lighting design with cost, maintenance, and environmental considerations, and approaches to achieving consistent lighting design across large transportation networks. Panelists will also highlight real-world applications and lessons learned, including rural intersection treatments, maintenance management, use of existing infrastructure, lighting in dense urban environments, as well as large-scale system upgrades and modernization efforts.

This discussion will provide practical insight drawn directly from DOT experience, helping traffic engineers understand how lighting is applied as a safety countermeasure and how similar approaches can be integrated into project development and safety programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how State and Local DOTs apply roadway lighting as a safety countermeasure across different transportation contexts.
• Identify key factors used by agencies to determine when and where lighting improvements are appropriate.
• Explain the differences between systemic and site-specific approaches to implementing roadway lighting for safety.
• Recognize practical considerations in lighting design, including cost, maintenance, and coordination with utilities.
• Apply insights from real-world DOT examples to inform lighting decisions in transportation project development and safety programs.

Moderator:  John Stallworth, LC | Vice President, Transportation Lighting Practice Leader | TJW Engineering | Boise, Idaho, USA

Presenters:

• Sue Zarling, PE | State Signal and Lighting Engineer | Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) | Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
• Bhanupriya Sharma, PE | Branch Chief, ITS and Electrical Engineering Services, HQ Traffic Operations | California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) | Sacramento, California, USA
• Akmal Mikhail | Director, Signals & Street Lighting Engineering and Design | New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) | New York City, New York, USA