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"ONE WAY" sign evolution in New York City

Started by M3019C LPS20, May 13, 2013, 03:13:07 AM

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M3019C LPS20

Before the turn of the 21st century, the city of New York had originally used several kinds of "ONE WAY" signs over the years. The early versions were literally shaped as arrows, while the current one that is in use was introduced near the end of the 20th century, which is an actual arrow within a black rectangle. Below, is a chronological list (along with a discussion for each kind) of what were in use over the years and a description of what is in use as of present day in New York City.

This is likely the earliest "ONE WAY" arrow sign to have first appeared on the streets of the city in the 1920s. Manufactured by the Illuminated Sign Co., this kind was in use in various locations of New York City for a fairly long period of time, and it is the only kind that was actually three-dimensional. Aside from the label of "ONE WAY," this street sign was labeled with some desired locations in New York City, such as "JAMAICA," for example. In short, it served as a general directional sign as well. Below, is a picture of one from a private collection (not mine).



Illuminated beads on the letters and outline of the sign made it illuminate at night.



Also, here's an actual photograph of one in service (located above the cluster of traffic signals). Circa 1927. Times Square in Manhattan, New York.




In later years, the second kind that some avid N.Y.C. street sign collectors and enthusiasts are well familiar with first began to appear in Manhattan and eventually spread throughout most, if not all, parts of the city of New York. This sign was two-dimensional in appearance, and what is interesting to point out is that, aside from the "ONE WAY" label, this kind had small letters on the tail (or back) of the actual arrow, and they read "POLICE DEPT." At one time, the city's one-way streets were controlled by the police department, but the department would eventually lose that control. Below, is a photograph of such an arrow sign from Queens, New York. Circa 1940. Courtesy of Kevin Walsh.



A better photograph of another example. Late 1970s. Photograph taken by Robert Mulero. Under the Manhattan bridge on the Manhattan side



Another version would shortly follow, and it would have similar characteristics of its predecessor; however, the label of "POLICE DEPT." would be absent on the end of it, making it the only noticeable difference between both.


The 1950s in New York City saw the introduction of the fourth, not to mention the last, version of the "ONE WAY" arrow sign. Unlike its descendants, this kind was shaped as an ordinary arrow, in which it lacked a rather unique tail at the end. Made of aluminum, the sign displayed black letters and a triangle within the arrow. I would have to say that this version is, by far, my favorite, and I own one in my possession. Below, is a picture of it.



It was common to see throughout the boroughs of New York City in the 1950s and early 1960s, and it was a common practice at one time by the city to attach most mainly to "humpback" porcelain street signs, and, in addition to this, the sign's predecessors shared were used for the same set-up as well.

This particular kind is extremely difficult to find in service nowadays in New York City, and there are a handful that still remain intact at various locations, such as two in Brooklyn, for example. Here's one of the two from Brooklyn.




By the 1960s, the fifth and last kind was introduced in New York City, in which it is still in use nearly 50 years later. It slightly changed over the years, and it shows an arrow within a black rectangle, which proves to be more visible than its predecessors. Below, is an example of one that I have in my possession, and, though it is impossible to provide an exact year of manufacture, I believe the street sign was manufactured sometime in the 1960s. Both sides are shown below. It would ultimately replace its predecessor of the 1950s in the 1960s and early 1970s.



There are several interesting characteristics about it, and the first one is that it was not originally labeled with New York City department of transportation's name. It was not until by the 1990s or so, though, that the label would first appear on this version. Below, is an example with the label.

In continuation, another characteristic to mention is that a large percentage of the "ONE WAY" signs throughout New York City have a rather large and noticeable separation between the words "ONE" and "WAY," since both words would appear noticeable on both sides of whatever they were attached to. One would consider this characteristic as something unique to New York City, which, therefore, would make one from there distinguishable amongst others from other locations in the United States. In spite of this, in recent years, it seems that D.O.T. changed the arrangement of the words in the arrow, and, as of present day, signs throughout the city share the common arrangement that could be considered universal in the United States. Kind of disappointing to me, but I guess that's how the cookie crumbles. Below, is an example of one.



Within the past six to eight years or so, the size of the current version was enlarged (primarily for better visibility), and it could be found in various parts of the city. Below, is an example of one. As you could see, this one in particular shares the unique separation between both words.




Alps

I never noticed that separation until you pointed it out, and now I realize that those ONE        WAY signs are uniquely NYC. Amazing what one learns here, especially when you post old photos.

D-Dey65

I used to love spotting and searching for the One Way arrow signs. Until the rare times I saw them in real life, I thought they only existed on TV, especially in cartoons.



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