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95-561: The parkway serves as the primary means of access to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States, and the numerous tourist attractions located within the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. The parkway is one of the most congested non-freeway routes in the state, carrying more than 50,000 vehicles per day in some locations. Most of

190-551: A motor to move the head up and down or side to side as if grazing . These and other 3D displays may be bare-frame, or be covered with garland, looped and woven transparent plastic cord or acrylic , or natural or goldtone -painted vines . Snowflakes are a popular design for municipal displays, so as not to be misconstrued as a government endorsement of religion , or so they can be left up all winter. Some places make huge displays of these during December, such as Callaway Gardens , Life University , and Lake Lanier Islands in

285-553: A window , or on a door or wall . Framed motifs can be lit using mini lights or rope light, and larger scale motifs and sculptures may use C7 bulbs. Light sculptures can be either flat (most common) or three-dimensional. Flat sculptures are the motifs, and are often on metal frames, but garland can also be attached to outdoor motifs. Indoor motifs often have a multicolored plastic backing sheet, sometimes holographic . 3D sculptures include deer or reindeer (even moose ) in various positions, and with or without antlers , often with

380-626: A wrong-way concurrency with that route. Leaving Gatlinburg, the parkway passes through the Little Pigeon River Gorge and becomes part of the Foothills Parkway as its spur route , although that roadway has yet to be built in the area (the right of way for it already includes land for a small interchange adjacent to the southern end of the Pigeon Forge city limit ). This 4.3-mile (6.9 km) segment, on

475-493: A yellow trap . When the signal turns yellow, a turning driver may assume oncoming traffic will stop and a crash may result. For this reason, the US bans sequences that may cause a yellow trap. This can also happen when emergency vehicles or railroads preempt normal signal operation. In the United States, signs reading "Oncoming traffic has extended green" or "Oncoming traffic may have extended green" must be posted at intersections where

570-950: A 'walk' light (normally a walking human figure, typically coloured green or white) and a 'don't walk' light (normally either a red or orange man figure or a hand), though other variations exist. Flashing red man: do not start to cross; if it appears during crossing, then continue to cross if unable to stop safely Red man: do not cross Red: do not cross Amber (steady, after green, before red): continue to cross only if unable to stop safely Flashing amber: cross with caution (often used in low-traffic crossing or after midnight) Flashing blue or green man: do not start to cross; if it appears during crossing, then continue to cross if unable to stop safely Red standing man: do not cross Amber: continue to cross only if unable to stop safely Flashing amber: cross with caution, obey signage (used when lights are out of order or shut down) Red: do not cross Red and amber: do not cross, prepare for green In Germany,

665-632: A case where the driver was speeding at 62 km/h in a street limited up to 40 km/h (55 % upper than the allowed speed). Criticism in South Korea says that this is unrealistic and unreasonable. In addition, this can cause multiple collisions due to sudden braking. In 2016 when speed limit was up to 60 km/h, proposed alternatives to this kind of collision were only roundabouts, speed compliance increase and speed practice reduction or elderly zones are also proposed solutions. Without an all-red phase, cross-turning traffic may be caught in

760-510: A co-operative effort, with residents priding themselves on their street or their neighbourhood. Today it is estimated that more than 150 million light sets are sold in America each year, with more than 80 million homes decorated with holiday lights. The town of McAdenville , North Carolina, United States have a tradition called Christmas Town USA where the entire town is decorated with Christmas lights. The town of Lobethal, South Australia , in

855-404: A concurrency with US 411 to the east. At this intersection, the parkway becomes part of SR 66, and is known as Winfield Dunn Parkway. The parkway continues north for several more miles through a less-developed area, before reaching an intersection with SR 139. A few miles later, the parkway reaches its northern terminus at exit 407, a diverging diamond interchange with I-40 in

950-629: A few even have transparent green, or a translucent or semi-opaque lime green (possibly representing slime as in Ghostbusters , or creatures like goblins or space aliens ). Two types of icicle lights are sold at Halloween: all-orange, and a combination of purple and green known as "slime lights". Easter lights are often produced in pastels . These typically have white wire and connectors. Red, white, and blue lights are produced for Independence Day , as well as U.S. flag and other patriotic -themed ornaments. Net lights have been produced with

1045-553: A four-lane highway between the park entrance in Gatlinburg and Knoxville. In the late 1940s, the stretch of SR 71 through Pigeon Forge was moved to a new alignment. In late 1951, the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) approved redesignating the section between Newfound Gap and Sevierville as part of US 441, and SR 71 became a hidden designation. In preparation for construction of

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1140-497: A known good bulb, or by using a test light to find out where the voltage gets interrupted. One example made specifically for Christmas lights is the LightKeeper Pro. When Christmas light manufacturers first started using LEDs the colors seemed very dull and uninspiring. Even the white lights, which were typically single-chip LEDs, glowed with a faintly yellowish color that made them look cheap and unattractive according to

1235-447: A lesser degree, other metals and alloys. As an example, a standard 20 feet (6.1 m) strand of modern incandescent Christmas lights weighing about 0.72 Lbs (0.33 kilo) was found to have less than 20% recoverable copper by weight. Installing holiday lighting may be a safety hazard when incorrectly connecting several strands of lights, repeatedly using the same extension cords for the lights to plug into or using an unsafe ladder during

1330-407: A movement in the direction of the arrow. These are used because they are safer, cause less delay, and are more flexible. Flashing amber arrows will normally be located below the solid amber. Arrow aspects may be used to permit certain movements or convey other messages to road users. A green arrow may display to require drivers to turn in a particular direction only or to allow drivers to continue in

1425-409: A narrow strip of National Park Service (NPS) land, is a four-lane divided highway which runs along both banks of the northward-flowing Little Pigeon River. Where the river briefly diverts to the west and back east again, the southbound lanes on the west bank also curve around, while the northbound lanes go through a tunnel. The Gatlinburg visitor center is located just before entering the town from

1520-530: A particular direction when the signal is red. Generally, a green phase is illuminated at the beginning of the green phase (a "leading turn") or at the end of the green phase (a "lagging turn"). An 'indicative arrow' may be displayed alongside a green light. This indicates to drivers that oncoming traffic is stopped, such that they do not need to give way to that traffic when turning across it. As right-turning traffic (left-side drive) or left-turning traffic (right-side drive) does not normally have priority, this arrow

1615-414: A particular direction, while the main lights for that approach are red, or that drivers can only travel in one particular direction. Alternatively, when combined with another green signal, they may indicate that turning traffic has priority over oncoming traffic (known as a "filter arrow"). Flashing amber arrows typically indicate that road users must give way (to other drivers and pedestrians) before making

1710-455: A pedestrian-controlled crosswalk. For this reason, Ontario is phasing out the use of flashing green signals and instead replacing them with arrows.) Popular in Vietnam and China, countdown lights are additional lights installed next to (or above or below) the main signal lights. The countdown light is displayed by a countdown number with different colors (usually red, yellow, green), matching

1805-411: A white background with a red line through it, emphasising that the turn is no longer allowed. These lights will also often have the words "no turn" displayed, or an explanatory reason why the turn is not allowed, such as "train" in the case of a rail or light rail crossing. A third type is known as a "doghouse" or "cluster head" – a vertical column with the two normal lights is on the right side of

1900-426: Is a subway or overpass. No provision of formal facilities means pedestrians will have to self-evaluate when it is safe to cross, which can be intimidating for pedestrians. With a "parallel walk" design, pedestrians walk alongside the traffic flow. A leading pedestrian interval may be provided, whereby pedestrians get a "walk" signal before the traffic gets a green light, allowing pedestrians to establish themselves on

1995-554: Is also used for other purposes, including the control of pedestrian movements, variable lane control (such as tidal flow systems or smart motorways ), and railway level crossings . The first system of traffic signals, which was a semaphore traffic signal, was installed as a way to replace police officer control of vehicular traffic outside the Houses of Parliament in London on 9 December 1868. This system exploded on 2 January 1869 and

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2090-667: Is hosted around the Christmas period to raise money for their Lincolnshire and Nottingham air ambulances . They successfully raised £1,389.09 during their 2022 attempt. A few have made it to the Extreme Christmas TV specials shown on HGTV , at least one requiring a generator and another requiring separate electrical service to supply the electrical power required. In Australia and New Zealand , chains of Christmas lights were quickly adopted as an effective way to provide ambient lighting to verandas, where cold beer

2185-718: Is in Sevier County . Traffic light Traffic lights , traffic signals , or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa , Zambia , and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at road intersections , pedestrian crossings , and other locations in order to control the flow of traffic. Traffic lights normally consist of three signals, transmitting meaningful information to road users through colours and symbols, including arrows and bicycles. The regular traffic light colours are red to stop traffic, amber for traffic change, and green for allowing

2280-531: Is longer than 100 seconds, depending on the type of light, the following possibilities may occur: In South Korea, the yellow light dilemma zone is not legally recognized. In other words, when the yellow light is on, traffic may not pass the stop line or enter the intersection even if cannot safely stop when the light shows. This has been reaffirmed by the ruling of the Supreme Court of Korea in May 2024, for

2375-401: Is often served in the hot summer evenings. Since the late 20th century, increasingly elaborate Christmas lights have been displayed, and driving around between 8 and 10 p.m. to view the lights has become a popular form of family entertainment. In some areas Christmas lighting becomes a fierce competition, with town councils offering awards for the best decorated house, in other areas it is seen as

2470-405: Is used to allow turning traffic to clear before the next phase begins. Some variations exist on this set up. One version is a horizontal bar with five lights – the green and amber arrows are located between the standard green and amber lights. A vertical five-light bar holds the arrows underneath the standard green light (in this arrangement, the amber arrow is sometimes omitted, leaving only

2565-467: The Adelaide Hills , is famed for its Christmas lighting displays. Many residents expend great effort to have the best light display in the town. Residents from the nearby city of Adelaide often drive to the town to view them. In the US, the television series The Great Christmas Light Fight features homes across the country in a competition of homes with elaborate Christmas light displays. In

2660-544: The Christmas season are amongst the most recognized forms of Christmas lighting. Christmas lights come in a dazzling array of configurations and colors. The small "midget" bulbs commonly known as fairy lights are also called Italian lights in some parts of the U.S., such as Chicago . The first miniature Christmas lights were manufactured in Italy. The types of lamps used in Christmas lighting also vary considerably, reflecting

2755-870: The Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Opera House . It is believed that the first outdoor public electric light Christmas Holiday display was organized by Fredrick Nash and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce in Altadena, California , on Santa Rosa Avenue, called Christmas Tree Lane . Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena has been continuously lit except during WW2 since 1920. Annual displays in Regent Street and Oxford Street , London, date from 1954 and 1959 respectively. Outdoor lighting outfits for

2850-539: The Light of the World . The Christmas tree was adopted in upper-class homes in 18th-century Germany , where it was occasionally decorated with candles , which at the time was a comparatively expensive light source. Candles for the tree were glued with melted wax to a tree branch or attached by pins. Around 1890, candleholders were first used for Christmas candles. Between 1902 and 1914, small lanterns and glass balls to hold

2945-580: The Public Lands Transportation Program (PLTP) as in other National Parks . Entering Pigeon Forge, the NPS corridor ends and the route widens to six lanes. A short distance later is an intersection with SR 449, which serves as an alternative route to the parkway between Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. A short distance beyond this point, US 321 splits off to the east, heading towards Maryville . Upon entering Sevierville,

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3040-544: The United States , lights have been produced for many other holidays . These may be simple sets in typical holiday colors, or the type with plastic ornaments which the light socket fits into. Light sculptures are also produced in typical holiday icons. Halloween is the most popular, with miniature light strings having black-insulated wires and semi-opaque orange bulbs. Later sets had some transparent purple bulbs (a representation of black, similar to blacklight ),

3135-559: The first day of Advent . In the Western Christian world, the two traditional days when Christmas lights are removed are Twelfth Night and Candlemas , the latter of which ends the Christmas-Epiphany season in some denominations . Taking down Christmas decorations before Twelfth Night, as well as leaving the decorations up beyond Candlemas is historically considered to be inauspicious. The Christmas tree

3230-419: The light of the world . The Christmas trees were brought by Christians into their homes in early modern Germany . Christmas trees displayed publicly and illuminated with electric lights became popular in the early 20th century. By the mid-20th century, it became customary to display strings of electric lights along streets and on buildings; Christmas decorations detached from the Christmas tree itself. In

3325-599: The "yellow trap" condition exists. The United States is not party to the Vienna Convention ; rather, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) outlines correct operation in that country. In the US, a single signal head may have three, four, or five aspects (though a single aspect green arrow may be displayed to indicate a continuous movement). The signals must be arranged red, amber, and green vertically (top to bottom) or horizontally (left to right). In

3420-430: The 'Walk' symbol will illuminate for pedestrians. At the end of the crossing phase, the 'Don't Walk' symbol will flash, as will the amber traffic light. Pedestrians are usually incorporated into urban signalised junctions in one of four ways: no facilities, parallel walk, walk with traffic, or all-red stages. No facilities may be provided if pedestrian demand is low, in areas where pedestrians are not permitted, or if there

3515-585: The 1920s, it would take until the mid-1950s for the use of such lights to be adopted by average households. Christmas lights found use in places other than Christmas trees. By 1919, city electrician John Malpiede began decorating the new Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado , eventually expanding the display to the park's Greek Amphitheater and later to the adjacent new Denver City and County Building - City Hall upon its completion in 1932. Soon, strings of lights adorned mantles and doorways inside homes, and ran along

3610-414: The 1950s and 1960s, the series circuit connected light sets would go completely dark when a single bulb failed. So in the fairly recent past, the mini-lights have come with shunts to allow a set to continue to operate with a burned out bulb. However, if there are multiple bulb failures or a shunt is bad, the string can still fail. There are two basic ways to troubleshoot this: a one by one replacement with

3705-797: The CBS Evening News and was featured in a Miller television commercial. Williams turned his hobby into a commercial venture, and was commissioned to scale up his vision to a scale of 250,000 lights at a Denver shopping center, as well as displays in parks and zoos. The technology used in Christmas lighting displays is highly diverse, ranging from simple light strands, Christmas lights (a.k.a. Fairy lights ), through to full blown animated tableaux, involving complex illuminated animatronics and statues. Christmas lights (also called twinkle lights, holiday lights, mini lights or fairy lights), that are strands of electric lights used to decorate homes, public/commercial buildings and Christmas trees during

3800-498: The Christmas sales season. Known as the Black Christmas boycott or "Christmas Sacrifice", it was an effective way to protest the cultural and fiscal segregation in the town with 33% black population. Light decorations in the homes, on the Christmas trees, or outside the house were not shown, and only six houses in the black community broke the boycott that Christmas. In 1973, during an oil shortage triggered by an embargo by

3895-604: The Gatlinburg Spur, the one point five miles (2.4 km) four-lane section of the parkway in the north part of the city, work to construct a new four-lane bridge over Dudley Creek in Gatlinburg began on September 26, 1951, and was completed on September 19, 1952. The southbound bridge over the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River was constructed between September 27, 1951, and November 3, 1952. Work on

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3990-555: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 and subsequent dedication in 1940, the state began pushing for a U.S. Route designation through the park. On September 14, 1945, a $ 9 million (equivalent to $ 121 million in 2023) plan to improve roads within and around the park was announced by the Bureau of Public Roads, predecessor to the Federal Highway Administration , which included the construction of

4085-693: The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway is a divided highway, except for the segment south of Gatlinburg, which carries little traffic. Most of the parkway has been widened to six lanes, and is one of the most congested arterial routes in the state. The road is simply called "Parkway" in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, where most of the commercial land development has occurred in those two cities. Both have numbered each traffic light sequentially to make it easier for non-locals to find their hotels and other tourist attractions . Sevierville has its traffic lights numbered in miles and tenths, according to

4180-495: The Maritime provinces, lights are often arranged horizontally, but each aspect is a different shape: red is a square (larger than the normal circle) and usually in pairs at either end of the fixture, amber is a diamond, and green is a circle. In many southern and southwestern U.S. states, most traffic signals are similarly horizontal in order to ease wind resistance during storms and hurricanes. Japanese traffic signals mostly follow

4275-494: The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (later OPEC), President Nixon asked Americans not to put up Christmas lights to conserve energy use. Many Americans complied, and there were fewer displays that year. In the mid-2000s, the video of the home of Carson Williams was widely distributed on the internet as a viral video . It garnered national attention in 2005 from The Today Show on NBC, Inside Edition and

4370-486: The U.S. state of Georgia . In east Tennessee , the cities of Chattanooga , Sevierville , Pigeon Forge , and Gatlinburg have light sculptures up all winter . Gatlinburg also has custom ones for Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day , while Pigeon Forge puts flowers on its tall lampposts for spring, and for winter has a steamboat and the famous picture of U.S. Marines Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima , in addition to

4465-483: The UK, normal traffic lights follow this sequence: A speed sign is a special traffic light, variable traffic sign , or variable-message sign giving drivers a recommended speed to approach the next traffic light in its green phase and avoid a stop due to reaching the intersection when lights are red. Pedestrian signals are used to inform pedestrians when to cross a road. Most pedestrian signal heads will have two lights:

4560-432: The UK, this type of crossing is called a pelican crossing , though more modern iterations are puffin and pedex crossings. In the UK, these crossings normally need at least four traffic signals, which are of a regular type (red, amber, and green), two facing in each direction. Furthermore, pedestrians will be provided with push buttons and pedestrian signals, consisting of a red and green man. Farside signals are located across

4655-409: The US are establishing schemes to recycle Christmas lights, with towns organizing drop-off points for handing in old lights. As of December 2019, most scrap metal recycling centers will purchase traditional incandescent Christmas lights for between US$ 0.10/Lb - USD$ 0.20/Lb (€0.20/Kg - €0.40/kg). This scrap value is primarily derived from the recycling value of the copper found inside the wire, and to

4750-492: The US, a single-aspect flashing amber signal can be used to raise attention to a warning sign and a single-aspect flashing red signal can be used to raise attention to a "stop", "do not enter", or "wrong way" sign. Flashing red or amber lights, known as intersection control beacons , are used to reinforce stop signs at intersections. The MUTCD specifies the following vehicular signals: In the Canadian province of Quebec and

4845-573: The United States, Canada and Europe, it became popular to outline private homes with such Christmas lights in tract housing starting in the 1960s. By the late 20th century, the custom had also been adopted in other nations, including outside the Western world, notably in Japan and Hong Kong . It has since spread throughout Christendom . In many countries, Christmas lights, as well as other Christmas decorations , are traditionally erected on or around

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4940-411: The candles started to be used. Early electric Christmas lights were introduced with electrification , beginning in the 1880s. The illuminated Christmas tree became established in the UK during Queen Victoria's reign, and through emigration spread to North America and Australia. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the 13-year-old princess wrote, "After dinner.. we then went into the drawing-room near

5035-472: The cities through telephone lines. A set of lights, known as a signal head, may have one, two, three, or more aspects. The most common signal type has three aspects facing the oncoming traffic: red on top, amber (yellow) below, and green below that. Additional aspects may be fitted to the signal, usually to indicate specific restrictions or filter movements. The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals Chapter III provides international standards for

5130-413: The color of the light on. When the light counts to "0" (or 1), the main light color immediately changes. Countdown lights may have zeros in the tens or none, some countdown lights may flash when getting ready to zero. Yellow lights can also have countdown lights, but most lights do not. Usually the countdown light has 2 digits, in case the time of the main light (usually the red light, rarely the green light)

5225-414: The community of Kodak. The route continues to the north as a county-maintained surface street, and SR 66 splits off onto an unsigned concurrency with I-40 to the east. Within the towns, the road is decorated with Christmas lights all winter. As a six-lane divided highway through Pigeon Forge, very tall multi-fixture street lights in the median are decorated with white LED snowflakes that fall down

5320-454: The crossing before vehicles begin to turn, to encourage drivers to give way. A 'walk with traffic' facility allows pedestrians to go at the same time as other traffic movements with no conflict between movements. This can work well on one-way roads, where turning movements are banned or where the straight-ahead movement runs in a different stage from the turning movement. A splitter island could also be provided. Traffic will pass on either side of

5415-406: The crossing, while nearside signals are located below the traffic lights, facing in the direction of oncoming traffic. A HAWK beacon is a special type of traffic used in the US at mid-block crossings. These consist of two red signals above a single amber signal. The beacon is unlit until a pedestrian pushes the cross button. Then an amber light will show, followed by both red lights, at which point

5510-475: The dining-room. There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees". Until the availability of inexpensive electrical power in the early 20th century, miniature candles were commonly (and in some cultures still are) used. The first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree was the creation of Edward H. Johnson , an associate of inventor Thomas Edison . While he

5605-460: The diversity of modern lighting technology in general. Common lamp types are incandescent light bulbs and now light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are being increasingly encouraged as being more energy efficient. Less common are neon lamp sets. Fluorescent lamp sets were produced for a limited time by Sylvania in the mid-1940s. Christmas lights using incandescent bulbs are somewhat notorious for being difficult to troubleshoot and repair. In

5700-543: The end of Ramadan . In India on Diwali too, homes, shops and streets are decorated with strings of fairy lights. Christmas lighting leads to some recycling issues. Annually more than 20 million pounds of discarded holiday lights are shipped to Shijiao, China (near Guangzhou ), which has been referred to as "the world capital for recycling Christmas lights". The region began importing discarded lights c.  1990 in part because of its cheap labor and low environmental standards. As late as 2009, many factories burned

5795-640: The exception of the northbound tunnel, which opened on March 3, 1959 The northernmost segment of the parkway between Sevierville and I-40 was widened from four to six lanes in three phases with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . Phase 1, between Nichols Street and SR 338, began on July 15, 2009, and was completed on November 18, 2011, at a cost of $ 38.6 million (equivalent to $ 51.5 million in 2023). Phase 2, between SR 139 and I-40, began in September 2010 and

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5890-518: The fine for crossing a red light if caught is as of 2019 between €5 and €10. Flashing green man or no man: do not start to cross (only at mid-block crossings); if it appears during crossing, then continue to cross if unable to stop safely Red standing man: do not cross WALK DONT WALK Modern version: White walking man: cross with caution Flashing orange stophand: do not start to cross; if it appears during crossing, then continue to cross if unable to stop safely Orange stophand: do not enter

5985-714: The first electric traffic light was developed by Lester Wire , a policeman in Salt Lake City , Utah . It was installed by the American Traffic Signal Company on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland , Ohio. The first four-way, three-colour traffic light was created by William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. His design was the first to include an amber 'caution' light along with red and green lights. Potts

6080-743: The first electrically lit Christmas tree in the White House . It featured over a hundred multicolored lights. The first commercially produced Christmas tree lamps were manufactured in strings of multiples of eight sockets by the General Electric Co. of Harrison, New Jersey . Each socket accepted a miniature two- candela carbon-filament lamp. The first recorded uses of Christmas lights on outdoor trees occurred in San Diego in 1904; Appleton, Wisconsin , in 1909; and New York City in 1912. McAdenville, North Carolina , claims to have been

6175-979: The first in 1956. The Library of Congress credits the town for inventing "the tradition of decorating evergreen trees with Christmas lights dates back to 1956 when the McAdenville Men's Club conceived of the idea of decorating a few trees around the McAdenville Community Center." However, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has had "lights" since 1931, but did not have real electric lights until 1956. Furthermore, Philadelphia's Christmas Light Show and Disney's Christmas Tree also began in 1956. In Canada , archival photos taken in 1956 around suburban Toronto capture several instances of outdoor evergreens illuminated with Christmas lights. Though General Electric sponsored community lighting competitions during

6270-536: The general public at the time. Displays of Christmas lights in public venues and on public buildings are a popular part of the annual celebration of Christmas, and may be set up by businesses or by local governments. The displays utilize Christmas lights in many ways, including decking towering Christmas trees in public squares, street trees and park trees, adorning lampposts and other such structures, decorating significant buildings such as town halls and department stores, and lighting up popular tourist attractions such as

6365-399: The green arrow below the steady green light, or possibly an LED -based device capable of showing both green and amber arrows within a single lamp housing). Some newer LED turn arrows seen in parts of Canada are capable of multicoloured animation. Such lights will often display a flashing and animated green or amber arrow when the dedicated turn is allowed but then transform into a red arrow on

6460-574: The home were offered in quantity starting in the 1930s. By the 1960s, with the popularity of tract housing in the US, it became increasingly common to outline the house (particularly the eaves ) with weatherproof Christmas lights. The Holiday Trail of Lights is a joint effort by cities in east Texas and northwest Louisiana that had its origins in the Festival of Lights and Christmas Festival in Natchitoches , started in 1927, making it one of

6555-425: The installation process. Christmas light sculptures, also called motifs, are used as Christmas decorations and for other holidays . Originally, these were large wireframe metalwork pieces made for public displays, such as for a municipal government to place on utility poles , and shopping centers to place on lampposts . Since the 1990s, these are also made in small plastic home versions that can be hung in

6650-518: The intersection Green walking man: safe to cross Red Man: Do Not Cross. If it appears during crossing, then continue to cross if unable to stop safely. Green Man: Safe to Cross. Where pedestrians need to cross the road between junctions, a signal-controlled crossing may be provided as an alternative to a zebra crossing or uncontrolled crossing. Traffic lights are normally used at crossings where vehicle speeds are high, where either vehicle or pedestrian flows are high or near signalised junctions. In

6745-431: The island and pedestrians can cross the road safely between the other flows. An all-red stage, also known as a full pedestrian stage, a pedestrian scramble or a Barnes Dance, holds all vehicular traffic at the junction to allow pedestrians time to safely cross without conflict from vehicles. It allows allows the use of diagonal crossings. This may require a longer cycle time and increase pedestrian wait periods, though

6840-447: The latter can be eased by providing two pedestrian stages. Christmas lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights , festive lights or string lights ) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas , often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide . The custom goes back to when Christmas trees were decorated with candles , which symbolized Christ being

6935-508: The lights in a U.S. flag pattern. In 2006, some stores carried stakes with LEDs that light fiber-optics, looking similar to fireworks . These above light strings are occasionally used on Christmas trees anyway, usually to add extra variety to the colors of the lights on the tree. Various types of patio lighting with no holiday theme are also made for summertime. These are often clear white lights, but most are ornament sets, such as lanterns made of metal or bamboo , or plastic ornaments in

7030-431: The lights to melt the plastic and retrieve the copper wire, releasing toxic fumes into the environment. A safer technique was developed that involved chopping the lights into a fine sand-like consistency, mixing it with water and vibrating the slurry on a table causing the different elements to separate out, similar to the process of panning for gold. Everything is recycled: copper, brass, plastic and glass. More cities in

7125-478: The mileage from the national park boundary. The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway begins as a segment of US 441 at the Tennessee–North Carolina state line in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a few miles south of Gatlinburg. Entering Gatlinburg, the route widens to four lanes as an undivided arterial route. In downtown Gatlinburg, the route turns north at an intersection with US 321, beginning

7220-404: The normal green lamp flashes rapidly, indicating permission to go straight as well as make a left turn in front of opposing traffic, which is being held by a steady red lamp. (This "advance green", or flashing green can be somewhat startling and confusing to drivers not familiar with this system. This also can cause confusion amongst visitors to British Columbia, where a flashing green signal denotes

7315-569: The north. The Gatlinburg Bypass , part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , connects with the parkway to provide a direct access to the National Park. All of these parkways are operated as part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, unlike other separate National Parkways , with support for design and road construction (including repaving) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through

7410-657: The oldest light festivals in the US. Fulton Street in Palo Alto, California , has the nickname "Christmas Tree Lane" due to the display of lighted Christmas trees along the street. A familiar pastime during the holiday season is to drive or walk around neighborhoods in the evening to see the lights displayed on homes. While some homes have no lights, others may have ornate displays requiring weeks to construct. Some displays are created for charities or local councils, for instance an annual display in Sleaford , Lincolnshire ,

7505-510: The parkway splits into an east and west branch, which together encircle the business district of Sevierville, as well as a spur in both directions along US 411 . Northbound traffic is directed along the east branch, which contains three northbound lanes and one southbound lane, and southbound traffic along the west branch, which contains three southbound lanes and one northbound lane. In this split section, both north and southbound lanes intersect with US 411, where US 441 splits of into

7600-463: The poles. In Gatlinburg, white LED deciduous trees sprout from the lampposts, in addition to other displays, such as the large one that stretches across the road at the town's northern entrance. In Sevierville, the traditional and much brighter snowflake light sculptures are still in use. On October 1, 1923, SR 71 was established between Indian Gap at the North Carolina state line and

7695-660: The present intersection of with US 411 and US 441 (then SR 65 ) in Sevierville. This was one of the first numbered state routes designated in Tennessee. This road followed the approximately location of the Road Prong Trail between Indian Gap and the Chimney Tops trailhead. In 1932, SR 71 was rerouted onto the present-day road between Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg. After the establishment of

7790-620: The rafters, roof lines, and porch railings of homes and businesses. In recent times, many city skyscrapers are decorated with long mostly-vertical strings of a common theme, and are activated simultaneously in Grand Illumination ceremonies. In 1963, a boycott of Christmas lights was done in Greenville, North Carolina , to protest the segregation that kept blacks from being employed by downtown businesses in Greenville, during

7885-435: The remainder of the Gatlinburg Spur began on September 16, 1952, and a temporary alignment opened to traffic on July 14, 1953. Final completion of the project occurred on May 27, 1954. In the mid-1950s, the stretch of the parkway through Pigeon Forge was widened to four lanes. Construction on the section between Banner Bridge and Caney Creek south of Pigeon Forge began on April 25, 1957, and was completed on October 29, 1958, with

7980-458: The same rule except that the green "go" signals are referred to as 青 (ao), typically translated as "blue", reflecting a historical change in the Japanese language . As a result, Japanese officials decreed in 1973 that the "go" light should be changed to the bluest possible shade of green, bringing the name more in line with the color without violating the international "green means go" rule. In

8075-720: The setup of traffic signal operations. Not all states have ratified the convention. A three-colour signal head should have three non-flashing lights which are red, amber , and green, either arranged horizontally (on the side opposite to the direction of traffic) or vertically (with red on top). A two-colour signal head may be used in temporary operation and consists of red and green non-flashing lights. In both cases, all lights should be circular or arrow-shaped. Permissible signals for regulating vehicle traffic (other than public transport vehicles) are outlined in Article 23: Green arrows are added to signals to indicate that drivers can travel in

8170-457: The shape of barbecue condiments , flamingos and palm trees , or even various beers . Some are made of decorative wire or mesh, in abstract shapes such as dragonflies , often with glass "gems" or marbles . Light sculptures are also made in everything from wire-mesh frogs to artificial palm trees outlined in rope lights. In Pakistan , fairy lights are often used to decorate in celebration of Eid ul-Fitr at Chaand Raat , which occurs at

8265-539: The signal, a vertical column with the two arrows is located on the left, and the normal red signal is in the middle above the two columns. Cluster signals in Australia and New Zealand use six signals, the sixth being a red arrow that can operate separately from the standard red light. In a fourth type, sometimes seen at intersections in Ontario and Quebec , Canada, there is no dedicated left-turn lamp per se. Instead,

8360-542: The story, seeing it as a publicity stunt . However, it was published by a Detroit newspaper reporter, and Johnson has become widely regarded as the Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights . By 1900, businesses started stringing up Christmas lights behind their windows. Christmas lights were too expensive for the average person; as such, electric Christmas lights did not become the majority replacement for candles until 1930. In 1895, US President Grover Cleveland sponsored

8455-526: The traffic squad, saving the city $ 12,500,000. In 1923, Garrett Morgan patented a design of a manually operated three-way traffic light with moving arms. The control of traffic lights made a big turn with the rise of computers in America in the 1950s. One of the best historical examples of computerized control of lights was in Denver in 1952. In 1967, the city of Toronto was the first to use more advanced computers that were better at vehicle detection. The computers maintained control over 159 signals in

8550-539: The traffic, arranged vertically or horizontally in that order. Although this is internationally standardised, variations in traffic light sequences and laws exist on national and local scales. Traffic lights were first introduced in December 1868 on Parliament Square in London to reduce the need for police officers to control traffic. Since then, electricity and computerised control have advanced traffic light technology and increased intersection capacity. The system

8645-519: Was Superintendent of Signals for the Police Department of Detroit. He installed automatic four-way, three-colour traffic lights in 15 towers across Detroit in 1921. By 1922, traffic towers were beginning to be controlled by automatic timers more widely. The main advantage of the use of the timer was that it saved cities money by replacing traffic officers. The city of New York was able to reassign all but 500 of its 6,000 officers working on

8740-594: Was completed in November 2012 at a cost of $ 23.3 million (equivalent to $ 30.6 million in 2023). Phase 3, between SR 338 and SR 139 began in March 2012, and was expected to be completed by October 31, 2014. This project was delayed until the middle of 2016 and cost $ 32.5 million (equivalent to $ 40.5 million in 2023). The interchange with I-40 was reconstructed into a diverging diamond interchange between March 12, 2014, and June 30, 2015. The entire route

8835-716: Was first recorded to be used by the Lutheran Christians in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539, under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer , Martin Bucer . In homes, "German Lutherans brought the decorated Christmas tree with them; the Moravians put lighted candles on those trees." These candles symbolized Jesus as

8930-455: Was thus taken down. But this early traffic signal led to other parts of the world implementing similar traffic signal systems. In the first two decades of the 20th century, semaphore traffic signals like the one in London were in use all over the United States . These traffic signals were controlled by a traffic officer who would change the commands on the signal to direct traffic. In 1912,

9025-564: Was vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company , a predecessor of today's Con Edison electric utility , he had Christmas tree light bulbs especially made for him. He proudly displayed his Christmas tree, which was hand- wired with 80 red, white and blue electric incandescent light bulbs the size of walnuts, on December 22, 1882, at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City . Local newspapers ignored

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