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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Volunteer security? Thanks, but no thanks ... From the Council: Public should get involved in local marijuana decisions ... Save a life: How to help someone who's contemplating suicide ... Our View: Volunteer security? Thanks, but no thanks ... From the Council: Public should get involved in local marijuana decisions ... Save a life: How to help someone who's contemplating suicide ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: 'Modern' traffic light developed in Cleveland Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I noticed photo lights are going to be installed at two more Medford intersections. That prompted me to ask who invented the automatic traffic signal, and what was the first city to install them? — Murray D., Medford  Just who invented the traffic signal depends in part on which traffic signal you're referring to, Murray, because there were several iterations before the current red-yellow-green system came into being. According to guardian.com, the first was developed by a Brit, J.P. Knight, a railway signalling engineer. His gas-powered light was installed outside the Houses of Parliament in 1868 and looked like a railway signal, with arms holding red and green lamps. That system never caught on, partly because it exploded, killing a police officer. A variety of systems were developed by a variety of people over the following half-century. Most of them were similar to the first U.S. traffic light — installed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914 — featuring a red light and a green light. That, too, had its drawbacks, as two vehicles on crossing streets could both be in the intersection legally at the same time, leading to some nasty collisions. One of those collisions, witnessed by George Morgan in Cleveland, led to the development of the "modern" traffic light. Morgan was granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office on Nov. 20, 1923, for a three-way traffic light, with a yellow caution light. He later sold rights to the lights to General Electric for $40,000. Morgan, who was African-American (and the first black man in Cleveland to own a car), had other inventions to his name, most significant among them the prototype of the gas mask that was widely used in World War I. Morgan died in 1963 at age 86. (Thanks also to history.com and bio.com for information on the traffic signal and Morgan.) Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501