Dodder Greenway Project
Smart lighting to encourage active mobility, connect communities and protect the environment
Dodder Greenway is a 17km long walking and cycling route along the River Dodder on Dublin’s southside, that will link the capital’s city centre to the Dublin mountains. It is designed to provide a safe and scenic path for commuters to adopt a more active mobility while protecting the existing ecology of the river corridor.
Smart lighting to protect people and the environment
To make walking and cycling safer and more attractive for people all year long, it is vital that they feel comfortable and lighting plays an important role. Prior to the opening of certain sections in 2021, South Dublin County Council, asked us to review its lighting plan as an ecology study had raised concerns about the impact of the lighting on bats in the area and the wildlife in the river, specifically in the zones where 3 new bridges had been built.
We liaised closely with the ecology consultant and the Council and recommended a smart lighting solution with our Schréder EXEDRA management system to ensure the safety of people using the path while protecting the local fauna and flora.
Carefully designed urban lighting
To provide a safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists, we integrated LED handrails into the bridge structures. Directed towards the ground, they ensure that people have clear visibility of the path with zero light spill towards the skies, river and surrounding forests where wildlife lives.
Low-energy AXIA luminaires were installed on the paths leading to and from the bridges to ensure an easy transition from the parklands to the bridges.
Connected technology to connect communities
The luminaires have been fitted with sensors to control the lighting levels on the bridges. This means that when the path is busy, the luminaires are fully switched on to ensure a safe and easy passage. When there is little or no activity, the light is dimmed to minimise any impact on the fauna and flora. If someone approaches the bridge, the light output increases again for a predetermined length of time.
The predefined lighting scenarios can be adapted remotely by the customer at any time to suit activities taking place.
The smart lighting enables users to comfortably walk or cycle, for social activities or commuting, between the different neighbourhoods along the path.
Smart lighting means smart data
With the data collected from Schréder EXEDRA, the council will gain interesting insights that will enable them to adapt the lighting in the future to the exact needs.
Equally, Schréder EXEDRA will provide real-time monitoring and automatic fault reporting which will significantly improve operations.