Signs and Signals of the Monumental City

Photos by Adam Paul and Steve Okonski

In today's world, where the overwhelming standardization has dictated for traffic signals to be suspended overhead from wires or overhead poles, the concept of a simple light mounted on a ground based pedestal pole seems unusual. However, there was once a time when the majority of traffic signals were in mounted in this fashion, as overhead utility and trolley wires made suspension costly and impractical. So it would be in these early years of the traffic signal. Following is a slight recap of some of the different styles that could be spotted.

The rotating apparatus in the background at Saint Paul and Fayette Streets drew much attention when it was installed in 1923. Officer in the foreground booth operates a version of the original hand-operated design invented by Professor Garrett Morgan.
Installed in 1924 was this device which actually drew its power from the overhead anyway. This appears to be near Druid Hill Park. To the right, Long Hooded Pedestal Light was used at 5 and 6 point intersections to assure that the signal would not be misinterpreted by other facing traffic.

As traffic increased, interest focused in placing the traffic signals closer to the driver's center of attention. Thus grew the movement to elevate lights above the center of the flowing lanes. Conversion of the streetcar lines to bus admittedly made this an easier task to be sure. Still there remained a few limited intersections in town where elevation was still impractical, and use of a stanchion mounted pedestal setup has persisted to this day. The signal heads have all been changed over to more modern equipment, yet the look of these pedestal signals still retain a degree of vintage aura to them. Keep your eyes open, and remember to obey them!


Among the very few pedestal type lights in the city is this one, resting on a small median at Roland Avenue and University Parkway, flanked on either side by pedestrian signals.	Howard County has some pedestals too, such as this double red arrow setup on Little Patuxent Parkway at the entrance to Howard Community College. Photo courtesy of Steve Okonski.

Anyone bored with the uniformity of Baltimore's signals once needed only head over to Reisterstown Road and Anoka Avenue, where TWO pedestal signal lights were there to serve, before being removed in 2003. Adding spice to the scene are TWO GE WALK WAIT signals that still survive to the left. To make it even better, out of view to the right are TWO original Novalux streetlamps.

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