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- Hand-Operated Traffic Signal, circa 1930 - Traffic officers manually operated early traffic signals. A control lever on this 1930 model activated the different lights. Beginning in the 1930s, most traffic lights were operated automatically, freeing officers for other duties.
- circa 1930
- Collections - Artifact
Hand-Operated Traffic Signal, circa 1930
Traffic officers manually operated early traffic signals. A control lever on this 1930 model activated the different lights. Beginning in the 1930s, most traffic lights were operated automatically, freeing officers for other duties.
- First Tri-Color, Four-Directional Traffic Signal, 1920 - Detroit traffic officer William Potts created this three-color, four-way traffic signal in 1920. Previous illuminated signals used only red and green lights. The addition of an amber "caution" light made driving safer and the three-color signal became the standard by the mid-1930s. This first traffic light was installed at Woodward Avenue and Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan.
- 1920
- Collections - Artifact
First Tri-Color, Four-Directional Traffic Signal, 1920
Detroit traffic officer William Potts created this three-color, four-way traffic signal in 1920. Previous illuminated signals used only red and green lights. The addition of an amber "caution" light made driving safer and the three-color signal became the standard by the mid-1930s. This first traffic light was installed at Woodward Avenue and Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan.