The Origins and Globalization of Traffic Control Signals

Traffic control systems are most visible element of the urban infrastructure. They are not just physical systems, even though some of their elements fit that description. Rather, they are systems that attempt to impose a strong social control over the most fundamental of human behaviors, whether to move or be still. Traffic engineers must control police, drivers, and pedestrians. For most other elements of urban infrastructure design, controlling the behavior of users is not the primary goal of designers. This article discusses the historical development and globalization of traffic control systems and how these developments arose as traffic engineering evolved.