street illumination

NYSERDA ( I believe) has a set of guides on energy efficeint streetlighting. On is for administrators, mayors, etc. Teh other is for engineers, adn would be the one you want. It covers light placement for illumination and energy efficiency. Sounds like it will be enough to get you started.

If their not on the NYSERDA website, try the lighting institute at They are the authors of the reports.

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"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail."

Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

To convert lumens at the light to effective lumens you need to have a chart from the manufacturer of the light system. This includes the height of the pole, type of light and specifics of the light fixture. Also, the local planning ageny most likely has standards and limits on the type and amount of light that can be installed.

Lighting requirements typically include mimimum illumination, average/minimum ratio.
has low cost software.
Lighting manufacturer's will usually furnish you with design calculations for your layout or help you develop a pattern. With so many variables, there's no quick and easy formula.