U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 5

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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MONDAY, AUGUST 5: FIRST TRAFFIC LIGHT

Profile America — Monday, August 5th.  An invention that sometimes drives us to distraction — but without which we would scarcely be driving at all — went into operation on this date in 1914.  A traffic light system, credited with being the first in the U.S., flashed red and green at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.  To further prompt drivers, the words "Stop" and "Move" were emblazoned on the operating red and green lights.  At the time, there were about 1.8 million motor vehicles in the U.S., six times more than just five years earlier.  Now, there are more than 250 million motor vehicles crowding our roads.  Traffic lights control the flow of this congestion, leaving Americans with an average one-way commute of 25 minutes.  You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 4224
Historical Statistics of the United States:  Colonial Times to 1970, p. 716
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB12-FF.06

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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