Distinctive Street Lighting

Alliance

The Alliance street light was originally introduced in Lower Manhattan by the Alliance for Downtown New York. This street light is a contemporary alternative to the Standard Street Light.

The Bishops Crook was the first of a number of decorative street lights to be introduced as early as 1900 on narrow city streets. Bracket versions of the Bishops Crook were also attached to the facades of buildings. The reproduction of the Bishops Crook was introduced in 1980 at Madison Avenue and 50th Street outside the Helmsley Palace Hotel (now the New York Palace Hotel).

City Light

In 2004, an international design competition was held to develop a signature street light for New York City. The winning entry, the City Light, was added to DOT’s lighting catalogue after extensive development and testing. This simple, elegant pole and luminaire provide less glare than other luminaires and complement both contemporary architecture and historic structures.

Flatbush Avenue

The Flatbush Avenue pole was first installed in 1988 on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Its design is appropriate for wide streets, including those with historic character.

TBTA

The TBTA (Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority) pole was introduced in the 1950s for mid-twentieth-century bridge construction projects such as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triboro Bridge). The TBTA pole replaced wooden lampposts that lit parkways during the 1920s and ’30s. The Teardrop and Shielded Teardrop luminaires combine with the TBTA pole to produce a historic quality.

Type F

The Type F pole, originally known as the Reverse Scroll Bracket, was developed in 1913 and installed on narrow streets downtown on Seventh Avenue. Bracket versions of the Reverse Scroll were also attached to the facades of buildings. The reproduction of the Reverse Scroll was introduced in the late twentieth century as the Type F pole.

Type M

The Type M pole, originally known as the Mast-Arm post, was introduced in 1908 for wide streets at corners on Broadway north of Columbus Circle and on Seventh Avenue north of Central Park. Bracket versions of the Mast-Arm were also attached to the facades of buildings. The reproduction of the Mast-Arm was introduced in the late twentieth century as the Type M pole.