Light of Order: Oakland’s 1925 Shift

This Oakland Tribune Camera News silent newsreel, titled New Traffic Control System Put Into Operation, captures Oakland, California’s first traffic light debut, circa 1925. A high-angle shot frames 1920s traffic weaving through Broadway, 14th Street, and San Pablo Plaza, where pedestrians zigzag southbound—Broadway to San Pablo, then 14th—per the title card. Boy Scouts direct bustling cars, while a close-up reveals the light switching from “Pedestrians” to “Go,” guiding orderly crossings. A pioneering peek at urban evolution in the East Bay.