New York's skyline may look a little different after 11 p.m. if state lawmakers approve a sweeping proposal designed to reduce light pollution.
The measure, called the Dark Skies Protection Act, would establish new rules for outdoor lighting across residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal properties throughout New York State. It has triggered dramatic predictions that the City That Never Sleeps could suddenly find itself in the dark. However, the reality is considerably less apocalyptic.
New York City would not switch off all its lights at 11 p.m. Streetlights, emergency illumination, airports, tunnels, and lighting required for public or worker safety would remain. Many homes and businesses could also keep their outdoor lights on if their fixtures were properly shielded so the light pointed toward the ground instead of spilling upward or onto neighboring properties.
The proposal, Senate Bill S9637A, is sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Patricia Fahy. Its Assembly counterpart, A4615, was introduced by Manhattan Assemblymember Deborah Glick.
Neither bill is currently law. The Senate version remains in the Environmental Conservation Committee. The Assembly proposal received a favorable 20-9 vote in the Environmental Conservation Committee in February and was referred to the Codes Committee.
If lawmakers in both chambers pass matching legislation and the governor signs it, the requirements would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
Under the current Senate proposal, outdoor fixtures at homes, businesses, factories and municipal properties would have to be shielded. Shielding does not necessarily mean reducing the amount of light. It means directing the light below a horizontal line instead of allowing it to shine into the sky.
Existing fixtures that do not comply could remain in use, but they would have to be switched off between 11 p.m. and sunrise. Motion-activated lights would be allowed if they remained on for less than 15 minutes and turned off automatically.
Outdoor athletic fields, amphitheaters, arenas and similar recreational facilities would generally have to turn off their lights from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. An event that started before the deadline could continue, however, and the lights could remain on until it ended.
The bill contains a long list of exemptions intended to prevent the blackout scenario imagined by critics.
Airport navigation systems and lights needed for aircraft safety would not be affected. Neither would emergency lighting used by police officers, firefighters, medical workers or correctional personnel.
Tunnels, roadway underpasses and certain streetlights would remain illuminated. Construction sites and commercial or industrial facilities could keep lights needed to protect workers. Some seasonal, decorative and low-wattage lighting would also be exempt.
The amended version would permit the state Department of Environmental Conservation to consider limited exemptions for historically or culturally significant lighting. That provision could protect some of New York City's most recognizable nighttime displays.
Times Square is also governed by zoning rules that require illuminated signs in portions of the entertainment district. Its famous electronic billboards are not expected to vanish at 11 p.m.
The Empire State Building presents a more complicated question. The tower's decorative lighting is not necessary for aviation or pedestrian safety, but its owners could potentially seek an exemption based on the building's historic and cultural significance.
Supporters say the proposal would reduce wasted energy while protecting people and wildlife from unnecessary artificial light.
The bill's sponsors cite estimates that approximately 30 percent of outdoor lighting in the United States is wasted, largely because fixtures direct light upward or sideways instead of toward the areas that need illumination.
Artificial light can also disorient migratory birds, many of which travel at night and use the sky to navigate. Bright urban skylines can draw the birds toward buildings, where they collide with windows or circle until they become exhausted.
The proposal also links excessive nighttime light to disrupted human sleep. Its legislative justification cites a 2016 city survey that found almost one in seven New Yorkers had their sleep disturbed by light at least three days a week.
Critics have raised concerns about pedestrian safety, crime and the cost of replacing or modifying thousands of fixtures. Property owners who violated the proposed rules could face penalties of up to $100 for a first offense at a one- to four-family home and up to $500 at larger properties. Repeated violations could carry fines of $250 and $1,000, respectively.
