LIVE OLIVE

by Kevin Walsh

Though the Department of Transportation has now succeeded in eliminating every “olive” stoplight stanchion on the streets of NYC — they used to guard traffic, a pair to each intersection beginning in the 1920s — a few working models can still be found in Central Park, like this one on the West Drive.

 

This one has its control box, which contains the electrics. Generally the box controlled a pair of lights per intersection.

Somewhere in the park — I forget where — you can find an ‘olive’ stanchion with just a control box, sans stoplight.

3/19/13

7 comments

Alan March 23, 2013 - 1:40 pm

Notice how some of the led “dots” are not operational!

Reply
Steven G. April 25, 2013 - 12:45 am

Those small cabinets throughout Central Park house electro-mechanical signal controllers, and they were manufactured by General Electric. You’d be surprised that these are over fifty years old and still functional.

Reply
Steven G. August 23, 2013 - 3:48 pm

Back in July of this year, I visited Central Park in Manhattan to see an actual Ruleta signal. As of present day, it is still in service, of course, and I captured quite a lot of pictures of it. It is still attached to its original pedestal (or “olive”), and it is still controlled by its original electro-mechanical signal controller as well.

If you are interested, Kevin, I could provide you with some good pictures I have of this set-up that still remains. I think this is a great find, because the signal is most likely the last of its kind (as far as a red and green configuration is concerned) in New York City as a whole.

Let me know, and I’d be more than glad to provide pictures of it on your website. Just provide me with credit should you do so. Thank you.

Steven G.

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Kevin Walsh August 23, 2013 - 10:25 pm

Yes please!

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Steven G. August 23, 2013 - 11:12 pm

How should I send them to you?

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Steven G. August 26, 2013 - 11:06 pm

I did send to them to you via Facebook, so just let me know if you received them.

Reply
Anthony Orenstein September 3, 2018 - 12:33 pm

Wow!!! That would be cool to think that at least one or two of these iconic traffic signals still remain in service!

Reply

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