Red Hand Signal Directs Traffic (May, 1934)

Red Hand Signal Directs Traffic

A RED hand controls the heavy traffic on Fifth avenue in New York City.

Faced with the problem of speeding up pedestrian traffic and cutting down casualties, experts have evolved a new scheme.
New signal towers have signals for auto-ists and signals for pedestrians, the latter in the form of a red hand on all four faces
of each tower.

Under this plan, pedestrian traffic will be given twenty seconds to clear in all directions as the signals change. Then automotive traffic travels in a specified direction for a period ranging from thirty to fifty-eight seconds.

A five second pause is permitted between the twenty seconds allotted pedestrians and the next automotive “go” signal.