With the increasing number of automobiles in downtown Gainesville
in the 1930s, the decision was made to install traffic lights. One question
remained—should they light
up or ring?
in 1937. In an issue of that publication printed
on Wednesday, September 15,
1937 an article appeared under the headline
“New Traffic Lights are Well
Received by the Public.” According to the
essay, the new traffic lights
installed in Gainesville early in September were
working satisfactorily and
the general public was pleased to see them
installed, considering them to be
a step toward safer driving.
people that the lights were there and handled the
crowds good “naturedly”
and merely called their attention to the fact
that they had violated a
traffic ordinance by driving or walking through a
red light.” The lights
were located on the corner of Dixon and Commerce
streets and the north
side corners of the courthouse square. It was
felt that the “city officials
will no doubt find these lights so much help to
the public that other lights
will be installed, especially along California
street.”
lights should ring when they change, so that a
car driver would not have
to stick his head out of the car to see if the
green is on! What would it be like
today to have all of the traffic lights in the
country ring every time they
change?