Signs and Signals of the Monumental City

Photos by Adam Paul and Steve Okonski

The standardization of today's transportation world has often affected traffic signals as well. The typical new standard has come to be represented most often by larger signals strung on a 4 wire setup from 4 aluminum poles. However, in Baltimore, where quite a few varieties exist, these boring standards are often broken, whether in signal types or in wiring configurations. Here, then, is a look at some novel arrangements from days gone by, as well as a couple of neat, newer ones:

An affordable way to improvise a 12" lens was this retrofit, an enlarging lens with visor, seen here at Harford Road and Northern Parkway, as well as a few other odd places in town. NOTE: This particular installation is very much in danger, as new signals are in place to replace this one.	While some "guy-wired signals" are suspended from straight rods, and a few from curved rods, it's doubtful that there's another in town suspended from a swiveling arm. This one stands at Patapsco and Pennington Avenues. This one also may be very endangered due to reconstruction of this intersection. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE OKONSKI
Not all novel arrangements are necessarily old either, such as the city's only "U-Turn signal," this doghouse fixture on Eastbound Edmondson Avenue at Nottingham Road.	8" (and even 12") signals with all cutaway lenses are "as scarce as hens teeth" in Baltimore City. One of only three known examples hangs at Wicomico and Ostend Streets in Southwest Baltimore. These MAY have been lights originally installed privately at intersections between city streets and major employment centers (example, the old Key Highway Shipyard) that were later sold to the city upon their removal. Another triple cut hangs at Eastern and Kenwood. Some 12" cuts can be seen at Belair and Fleetwood and Northern and Falls.
A "Down Arrow" is technically an MUTCD violation, but one sure exists in Baltimore, to allow traffic to continue "straight" on Caton at Hilton, instead of going "straight" onto Hilton. Confusing? You bet!
This strange 3 way cluster has changed since this photo was taken in 2001. The two lower aspects have since been removed.	The top solid large red is activated at the crossing of a P&BR train, as seen here in 2001.
3M "programmable" signals are hard enough to find, but a "Doghouse" signal of these lights is even more bizarre, though this one flourishes at Washington Boulevard and Sulphur Spring Road.
Box shaped visors could at one time be found at many "dual indication" signals about town, such as Edmondson and Fremont, where a left turn arrow light signal was included. Today, however, it appears that these two signals at Park Avenue and Baltimore Street are the only ones still carrying these odd visors.	At Fairmount and Joppa in Baltimore County are two odd looking Low Gravity 8-8-8-12 Left Turn Signals. Common in some parts of the country, but quite scarce here!

The "Never Ending Green Light" on Druid Park Lake Drive at Linden Avenue was one that few drivers can object to. Traffic only stopped in the Eastbound direction to let Westbound traffic turn onto One Way Linden Avenue, while the Westbound Traffic has only green balls, green arrow, and a yellow arrow to see illuminated. This signal is deactivated as work continues on the drive, and one wonders if it will return with the same setup.	A common set-up of traffic signals in the area is the "Double Guy" setup used for many years, where a tension wire supports a mast holding the signals. This one stood at Roland Heights Avenue and Falls Road, until being replaced in November of 2001.
Another neat Double Guy Setup was this three way adjustable suspended into the intersection of Baltimore and Eutaw Streets, the only intersection of its type in Downtown, until it collapsed in February of 2002, and only its companion remained until new signals were installed to accompany the Hippodrome project in 2003.

KNOW ANOTHER NEAT SET UP? CONTACT ME!!!