Visitors to the village of Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County, New York, often drive or walk by one of their local landmarks located at the intersection of Old Post Road South and Grand Street. Reactions are quite mixed. Some find it charming, while others see it as ugly and out-of-date. A few even think of it as a community heirloom. Technically, it’s a “dummy light” — a traffic light that stands on a pedestal in the middle of an intersection. In an era when intersections were often controlled by a single traffic signal, many were installed on pedestals in the centers of intersections, and often replaced beacons that denoted the center and separated opposing traffic. Other counties in New York had similar dummy lights, but eventually all were removed — all except for the one in Croton-on-Hudson. Over the years Croton village officials have talked about replacing the historic dummy light with a modern hanging light, but public feedback has been strongly against the idea. Should it go forward, there would be a major stir in the community. The principal argument centers around the fact that such lights are extremely rare and historic. Croton’s dummy light is such a beloved landmark that it's likely to remain right where it is for years to come.
