New York vintage traffic signals

New York vintage traffic signals. While researching my blog Vintage New York Postcards, my attention was drawn to a specific postcard in my collection. The image featured a 1922 traffic light tower (signal tower) located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 42^nd Street.

That blog emphasized the importance of this intersection along Fifth Avenue; both for the buildings that inhabited the corner streetscape, as well as the fond memories of my time studying in a building overlooking this intersection.

While part of the civic beauty movement, these traffic lights served a real purpose, which was new to the city. That of regulating traffic flow. Standing 23 feet high and designed in a modern style from ornate bronze and granite, the towers were envisioned as a piece of furniture. After winning the competition for the design of traffic signal towers in 1920 (organized by Fifth Avenue Association), architect Joseph H. Freedlander (1870-1943) was commissioned to produce several of them for Fifth Avenue in a Beaux-Arts style.

As traffic was increasing in the city, and because traffic lights were not yet common practice at major intersections (especially along Fifth Avenue), New York decided to have an on-duty policeman sit in a glass cab, and regulate vehicular and pedestrian movement to avoid traffic gridlock.

*Image 1: Google Images -1924 Gilt bronze model of traffic signal tower for Fifth Avenue, New York designed by Joseph H. Freedlander , and casted by John Polachek* (Height 25 1/4 inches)

*Image 2: Vintage postcard of traffic light post (left) and photograph (right), both showing Fifth Avenue looking north at the crossroad with 42nd Street (author’s collection)*

*Image 3: Google Images -Traffic light post at 34th Street & Fifth Avenue looking north (1922)*

*Image 4: Google Images -Traffic light post at 34th Street & Fifth Avenue looking north (1922)*. Note the shadow of the policeman standing below the lights

Part of the policeman’s task was to prevent accidents and pedestrian fatalities due to the increased number of wagons, carriages, streetcars, and automobiles. In doing so, they were responsible to operate the traffic lights and coordinated through telephone between traffic towers to alleviated tie-ups. Seven of these traffic signal towers were erected at cross-streets along Fifth Avenue only to be dismantled a decade later due to another jump in the volume and speed of traffic as well as layers of bureaucratic regulations.

Image 5: Google Image -with marked indication of the seven traffic signals (author’s collection)

It’s important to note that all traffic signals were in the middle of Fifth Avenue, never at the true intersection between two arteries. In other words, they were positioned on Fifth Avenue, slightly north of the cross streets to allow motorists to make smooth left and right turns through the intersections.

Had I only known at the time, that from the window of my architecture studio at 41st street and Fifth Avenue, I was studying with a view on one of the most important intersections in the world!