It has been known that while the warm colors of HPS are more calming than the harsh color of LEDs.  (At least in this collector/consumer's opinion)

If one looks at the LED lighting on new jetliners, you know that the color of HPS can closely be matched.  So why aren't they?

Instead of the harsh white light, LED lights can be manufactured with LEDs matching the warm colors of HPS with the "cost savings of LED"

Does this sound feasible to anyone else?  After all, the CRI isn't exactly the priority of street lighting, it's to light the roads and provide light that keeps people calm (harsh lighting screws up circadian rhythm.)

It can be done.  See the pictures...?

Here is another picture of what I could consider a suitable LED replacement for HIDs.  This picture shows what a simulated LPS would appear as.

If manufacturers could do this, I wouldn't mind LED so much. (I still don't like them, but this would make me dislike them a little less)

Thing is though, HPS were the colour they are just because of the materials involved, that was the colour that came out after trying to get sodium discharge `whiter`, it was golden white take it or leave it.
So why would you want to re-create that exact colour when you can get white first hand with diodes?
Our LED street lighting in my town, (Philips Unistreet), are 4000K, and I find this a perfect colour for night use, when I take the dog out after dark, it brings the green in the grass/trees out with perfection, and its nice to walk under, (you couldn`t see it with the HPS), rather it was a kind of a very dark green (almost verging on dark grey), as they were only rated at 50watt.

HPS at 250/400watt brings out colours better, but obviously you can`t use 400watt for residential areas here!
We`re lucky NOT to have LED street lighting at 5000K though, but on a school at the bottom of our road they do have this colour in the bulkheads on the walls, and yes, its cold and unforgiving!

I also appreciate the better color rendering offered by led streetlights.

I don't hate LED's but i don't care for them as streetlights, and colour rendering is the least of my concerns (I'm not speaking for others, just my personal opinion) I prefer HPS overall, it does not emit much in the blue area and they light the roadways and walkways enough to keep them safe at night, also they don't mess with my night vision, now with LED's as soon as i walk under one of those things my night vision goes down the drain, and it takes me a few minutes to recover from that, also as a result of that i cannot see past the beam of light real well.