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Old Brooklyn, New York photographs

Started by M3019C LPS20, December 25, 2016, 07:30:24 PM

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M3019C LPS20

I recently found a bunch of great photographs of old signalized intersections from Brooklyn, New York. Particularly the downtown section. Some of these show early three-color vehicular units (Marbelite), and there are a handful of two-color stoplights. These were taken between 1944 and 1960. Enjoy.






























xcellntbuy


traffic light guy

Trace those pictures back to when some of these setups were installed

SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ


M3019C LPS20

Quote from: traffic light guy on December 25, 2016, 10:53:05 PM
Trace those pictures back to when some of these setups were installed

SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ

The intersections in the photographs that have three-color stoplights in use were installed by the NYCDOT after 1954. Roughly between the years 1955 and 1958. Two-color traffic signals originally controlled traffic before removal.

In 1955, citywide, the DOT introduced the mast-arm/guy wire setup for traffic signal suspension, and it spread like wildfire soonafter.


thenetwork

Quote from: M3019C LPS20 on December 25, 2016, 11:25:48 PM
Quote from: traffic light guy on December 25, 2016, 10:53:05 PM
Trace those pictures back to when some of these setups were installed

SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ

The intersections in the photographs that have three-color stoplights in use were installed by the NYCDOT after 1954. Roughly between the years 1955 and 1958. Two-color traffic signals originally controlled traffic before removal.

In 1955, citywide, the DOT introduced the mast-arm/guy wire setup for traffic signal suspension, and it spread like wildfire soonafter.



Going by the movie marquee "Bottom of the Bottle", that would date at least that particular photo to February, 1956.

traffic light guy

Quote from: M3019C LPS20 on December 25, 2016, 11:25:48 PM
Quote from: traffic light guy on December 25, 2016, 10:53:05 PM
Trace those pictures back to when some of these setups were installed

SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ

The intersections in the photographs that have three-color stoplights in use were installed by the NYCDOT after 1954. Roughly between the years 1955 and 1958. Two-color traffic signals originally controlled traffic before removal.

In 1955, citywide, the DOT introduced the mast-arm/guy wire setup for traffic signal suspension, and it spread like wildfire soonafter.
That's very early, mast-arms became the norm in Pennsylavnia in 1968, Philly didn't use mast-arms until 1974. Plus, PA never used guy wires, they used monotubes.

M3019C LPS20

When the Department of Traffic (today New York City Department of Transportation) was established in 1950, the first commissioner and creator of the Department, Lloyd B. Reid, had plans to modernize New York City's traffic system, because it was outdated at the time. One of the primary problems he faced was with how traffic signals were presented to motorists on the streets. Traffic signals before 1955 were mainly mounted on short pedestals, and they were eventually deemed inadequate in heavy traffic conditions, due to visibility.

New York City never really adopted monotubes, due to such a compact environment, where space is always an issue. Even so, there are only three locations in the entire city that have them in use, where the intersections have multiple lanes in each direction. They were installed by the DOT in the early-1980s.

Otto Yamamoto

Most of the monotube arms in the city are at drawbridges.

XT1254


M3019C LPS20

Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on December 26, 2016, 06:33:04 PM
Most of the monotube arms in the city are at drawbridges.

XT1254

That is true, yes, but, if you consider actual intersection configurations, than the ones on Staten Island fall under the category.

SignBridge

I never knew those early 3-color signals had dark colored heads. I always remember them being the current yellow. The guy-wire style mast-arm (usually with only 8-inch heads) remains the standard in NYC to this day. Some have an extension to add a few feet of length at wider intersections. Diagonal span is the usual configuration.

M3019C LPS20

Quote from: SignBridge on December 31, 2016, 08:45:35 PM
I never knew those early 3-color signals had dark colored heads. I always remember them being the current yellow. The guy-wire style mast-arm (usually with only 8-inch heads) remains the standard in NYC to this day. Some have an extension to add a few feet of length at wider intersections. Diagonal span is the usual configuration.

In the days of two-color traffic signals in New York City, eveything was black. After 1950, the city adopted dark olive green, as is the color for those three-section Marbelite units in the photograph. This is true for the pedestrian signals as well. The late New York City traffic commissioner Henry Barnes was responsible for the change in colors (yellow we see today) in 1962, so most traffic signals were repainted citywide by the mid-1960s. Pedestrian signals oddly weren't affected by the change at first, but, in the late-1960s and early 1970s, the city repainted all of them.

SignBridge

Ah yes, I was a fan of Traffic Commissioner Henry Barnes as a kid in the 1960's. I remember reading his biography back then too. He absolutely insisted on what he believed (which was usually right!) Before coming to New York he served In Flint, Michigan, Denver and Baltimore. Also, I do remember the pedestrian signals being dark-green back in the 1960's.

M3019C LPS20

Barnes' autobiography is definitely a must read for those interested in traffic control. Considering he never went to school to study to become an engineer, Henry went quite far with the path he chose. Simple beginnings of being a handyman took him places he probably never imagined.

MikeCL

The 4th picture down is that Pitkin Ave?

M3019C LPS20




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