Tipperary Hill’s green-on-top traffic light continues as a Syracuse heritage landmark in its second century
The only traffic signal in the country with green above red sits at Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. The light’s heritage status anchors the Tipperary Hill Irish neighborhood identity.
The traffic signal at Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue in Syracuse’s Tipperary Hill neighborhood, the only known traffic light in the United States with green above red, continues to operate as both a working signal and a heritage landmark. The light’s inverted color order, which began as an unofficial neighborhood preference in the late 1920s and was formalized by the City of Syracuse Traffic Department in 1929, has been continuously maintained for nearly a century.
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The neighborhood, settled by Irish immigrants in the second half of the 19th century, lies in the Far Westside of Syracuse, west of downtown across Onondaga Creek. Tipperary Hill takes its name from County Tipperary in Ireland and remains one of the most identifiable Irish-heritage neighborhoods in the upstate region.
How the light came to be
The standard story of the light, documented by the Onondaga Historical Association and the City of Syracuse, traces it to neighborhood objections in the late 1920s to the new electric traffic signal at the corner. Residents reportedly preferred green, the color of Ireland, above red, the color associated with British rule. Young people in the neighborhood are said to have thrown stones at the signal until the city installed a unit with the green light at the top. The arrangement has been continuous since.
The Tipperary Hill Memorial Park at the corner, dedicated in 1997, includes the Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial sculpture by Dexter Benedict. The bronze memorial depicts a young boy with a slingshot pointing up at the traffic light, with three additional figures representing the immigrant family. The park is a regular stop on the city’s heritage walking tour circuit.
How the city has handled the unique signal
The signal’s official status as the only inverted traffic light in the United States has required cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the New York State Department of Transportation. The City of Syracuse Department of Public Works has maintained the unit through several technology generations, replacing the original incandescent fixture with LED hardware in the 2010s while preserving the inverted color order.
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the federal standard for traffic signal design, makes formal exceptions for historic signals. The Tipperary Hill light is documented in heritage materials as one of the country’s most-photographed traffic signals.
The neighborhood today
Tipperary Hill remains a residential neighborhood with an active commercial corridor along Tompkins Street and Burnet Avenue. The neighborhood is the headquarters of the Tipperary Hill Heritage Association, which coordinates the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade preparation and the summer Tipp Hill Music in the Park concert series. The Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub, on Tompkins Street, has operated continuously since 1933 and is one of the longest-running family-owned restaurants in the city.
How to see it
The Tipperary Hill traffic light is at the intersection of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. The Memorial Park sits at the southeastern corner. The corner is part of the City of Syracuse heritage walking tour itinerary and is accessible by Centro bus from downtown.
