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