Trolley Traffic Lights? In an effort to prevent collisions between the National Park Service Trolley Fleet and the motoring public, the City of Lowell Massachusetts has begun experimenting with a series of traffic lights for trolleys. One such set is located at the busy Merrimack Street crossing shown here. The new lights are most obvious in this photo just above and to the left of Car 1601. It used to be that trolley crews had to stop and watch the regular traffic lights, then attempt to time their crossing of Merrimack Street when the the traffic light for the cars was red. The new light system is fully integrated with the regular traffic lights. It displays a horizontal white bar when the trolley must hold short of the crossing for auto traffic. When the regular traffic lights stop the flow of auto traffic, the trolley lights display a vertical white bar. In this photo, Motorman Amy and her Flagger Jay observe the horizontal bar, waiting their turn to continue their trip to the National Park Service Visitor Center.
Although the system still has a few bugs and the trolley crews still have to stay on their toes, this system promises to make life easier and safer for everyone who shares the streets of Lowell.
