​Who is this aimed at

• Halton Region Public Works and Transportation Division

• Regional Council and Infrastructure Planning Committee

• Climate Action Implementation Team

• Community Stakeholders in Rural and Peri-Urban Areas

 

Key messages

• Halton’s rural roads are underlit, increasing accident risk and decreasing nighttime visibility.

• Traditional LEDs stay on all night at full brightness, wasting energy during low-traffic hours.

• Smart streetlights (SMRT Lite) adapt to real-time traffic, reducing energy consumption by

       ~89%.

• Each 5 km stretch can save $4,212 annually, conserving 32,412 kWh/year.

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Policy options

• Option 1: Status Quo – Continue fixed-brightness LED deployment in rural corridors (low upfront cost, no efficiency gains).

• Option 2: Pilot Retrofit – Retrofit select roads (e.g., Halton-Erin Rd) with smart lighting for evaluation.

• Option 3: Full Rollout – Expand SMRT Lite to all priority rural corridors for region-wide cost and energy savings.

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Executive Summary

This policy brief proposes the implementation of smart streetlight systems (SMRT Lite) in Halton Region’s rural corridors to enhance road safety and significantly reduce energy consumption.

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Traditional LED streetlights currently operate at full brightness for extended hours, regardless of traffic conditions, resulting in excessive energy use and municipal expenditure. Our simulatransittion of a 5 km rural stretch (Halton-Erin Road) demonstrates that using adaptive LED systems with infrared motion detection could reduce energy usage by 32,412 kWh annually and cut costs by $4,212 per year. These systems not only address critical safety concerns on poorly lit rural roads but also align with Halton’s climate goals. With a scalable and cost-efficient model, SMRT Lite offers a practical, impactful solution for sustainable infrastructure development.

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Rural Lighting Gaps and Efficiency Challenges

Rural communities in Halton Region face persistent safety challenges due to insufficient streetlighting infrastructure. High-speed corridors such as Halton-Erin Road lack adequate illumination, especially in areas without sidewalks or pedestrian buffers. These conditions increase the likelihood of nighttime accidents involving drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. As Halton’s population grows outward into peri-urban zones, these roadways are seeing increased use without corresponding upgrades in safety infrastructure. Poor visibility continues to pose a risk to

residents, school bus routes, and local service vehicles.

 

While many urban areas have transitioned to energy-efficient LED systems, rural corridors often lack the same investment — and even where LEDs are installed, they run at full brightness throughout the night. This results in unnecessary energy consumption during low-traffic periods, such as between 10 PM and 6 AM. The current system is both financially inefficient and environmentally outdated. The challenge is not simply about expanding lighting, but doing so in a way that is adaptive, intelligent, and aligned with the Region’s climate action goals.

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Halton’s Commitment to Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure

Halton Region has made significant progress in sustainability and infrastructure renewal. Declaring a climate emergency in 2019, the Region committed to a proactive, forward-thinking approach to public works and environmental impact. While urban zones have benefitted from investments in LED lighting and intelligent transportation systems, rural areas have largely remained underlit and underprioritized. This has led to safety inequities and energy inefficiencies that are inconsistent with Halton’s broader policy goals.

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The current policy framework for roadway lighting does not yet incorporate adaptive or responsive technologies outside of pilot programs. Moreover, funding allocations often focus on high-density zones, leaving rural corridors behind despite increasing suburban development. As public demand for sustainable infrastructure grows, there is both a need and an opportunity for Halton to modernize its rural lighting strategy in a way that supports road safety, financial stewardship, and emissions reduction.

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Energy and Financial Modelling of SMRT Lite

To evaluate the feasibility of smart lighting in a rural Halton context, we developed a cost and energy usage simulation for a 5 km stretch of Halton-Erin Road. This stretch, with 125 LED poles spaced roughly 40 meters apart, represents a typical rural corridor in the region. In a traditional configuration, each pole runs at 100 W for 8 hours per night, resulting in an annual consumption of 36,500 kWh and an annual cost of $4,745 (at $0.13/kWh). These lights provide constant brightness regardless of whether any traffic is present.

 

In contrast, the SMRT Lite model operates at a base brightness of 20%, temporarily increasing to 100% for 5 seconds when a vehicle or pedestrian is detected via an infrared sensor. The system then fades back to its dim baseline. Over a year, assuming traffic occurs every 7.5 minutes on average between 10 PM and 6 AM, the system consumes only 4,088 kWh — reducing costs to $533. This represents an 89% reduction in energy use and over $4,200 in savings annually per 5 km of roadway. The technology required (microcontroller, IR sensor, resistors, and LED driver) is inexpensive and adaptable to existing pole infrastructure, making it both accessible and scalable.

International precedent from Norway’s Comlight system confirms the viability of such technology, with similar energy savings reported across multiple rural deployments. Moreover, research on light pollution and ecological impacts suggests that targeted, low-brightness lighting significantly reduces disruption to local wildlife and preserves night skies.
 

Choosing the Right Path Forward

Option 1: Maintain the Status Quo

Halton could continue its current strategy of deploying standard LED lights with fixed brightness. This option avoids immediate capital investment but sacrifices long-term operational savings and fails to address the root inefficiencies in energy use. Safety concerns on dark rural roads would persist.

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Option 2: Limited Pilot Implementation

A more moderate approach involves retrofitting one or more selected corridors (e.g., Halton-Erin Rd or ON25 Side Road) with SMRT Lite. This enables data collection, community feedback, and controlled budgeting. However, benefits are restricted to a small area and may not fully demonstrate regional-scale savings or logistical considerations.

 

Option 3: Regional Rollout of Smart Lighting in Rural Corridors

A full rollout of adaptive lighting technology across Halton’s rural roads maximizes energy and cost savings, improves safety equitably, and sets a precedent for innovation. While this approach involves greater upfront investment, funding opportunities and long-term returns make it a compelling option.

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Immediate Actions for Long-Term Impact

1. Launch a pilot retrofit project on Halton-Erin Road and one additional rural route to test SMRT Lite functionality under real conditions.

2. Secure external funding through Ontario’s Green Infrastructure Fund, FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, or other provincial and federal sources.

3. Revise municipal lighting policy to include motion-sensing or adaptive lighting options for new or retrofitted rural roads.

4. Develop KPIs to monitor success across energy savings, public satisfaction, and traffic safety, using pilot data to guide broader implementation.

5. Engage the public and stakeholders with educational outreach, signage, and digital updates to build support and transparency.

 

Safety, Sustainability, and Municipal Leadership

If implemented, smart streetlighting in Halton will offer significant implications across multiple domains. From a public safety perspective, motion-triggered lighting provides high-visibility conditions precisely when needed, reducing accident risk while minimizing unnecessary glare. Environmentally, reduced electricity use translates to lower carbon emissions and supports Halton’s broader climate goals. Financially, the cost savings generated could be redirected to other critical services or infrastructure upgrades.

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There is also a reputational benefit. Halton has the opportunity to serve as a regional leader in smart infrastructure by modeling a scalable, data-informed solution that balances technology with fiscal responsibility. This project can serve as a proof-of-concept for other municipalities considering similar systems.

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Scalable Innovation for Safer, Smarter Roads

The SMRT Lite system presents a timely and necessary response to Halton’s rural road safety and sustainability challenges. With minimal technological complexity and high impact, this system addresses core issues of visibility, cost, and carbon output — all within a replicable and scalable model. By initiating a pilot and gradually scaling up based on outcomes, Halton Region can

modernize its infrastructure while reinforcing its role as a sustainability leader in Ontario and beyond.

 

Authors

Punit Shah, Honours Electrical Engineering – University of Waterloo, CA.

 

Nouf Alkatheeri, Electrical Engineering – Khalifa University, UAE.

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Appendices and Sources

1. tristanrayner, “This Town in Norway is Saving Energy Using Auto-Dimming Street Lights,” Digital for Good | RESET.ORG, Jan. 04, 2018. https://en.reset.org/town-norway-saving- energy-using-auto-dimming-street-lights-01032018/ (accessed Jul. 11, 2025).

2. “Motion Sensing Outdoor Lighting Control | Comlight,” Comlight.no, 2025. https://www.comlight.no/home-en (accessed Jul. 20, 2025).

3. “Solutions | Comlight,” Comlight.no, 2025. https://www.comlight.no/solutions (accessed Jul. 20, 2025).

4. “How Do Smart Traffic Lights Work? Technical Architecture and Use Cases Explained,” Intellias, Oct. 15, 2024. https://intellias.com/smart-traffic-signals/ (accessed Jul. 28, 2025).

5. E. Watson, “Smart traffic light technology controlled using Artificial Intelligence,” Innovation News Network, Feb. 04, 2022. https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/smart-traffic-light-technology-controlled-using-artificial-intelligence/17869/ (accessed Jul. 28, 2025).

6. “Halton - Traffic Signals,” Halton.ca, 2018. https://www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Roads- Construction/Traffic-Signals (accessed Jul. 28, 2025).

7. “Halton - Water, Wastewater and Transportation Integrated Master Plan,” Halton.ca, 2025. https://www.halton.ca/For-Residents/Opportunities-to-Participate/Water-Wastewater- Transportation-IMP (accessed Jul. 28, 2025).