PAX Centurion - May / June 2015

Page 54 • PAX CENTURION • June/July 2015 617-989-BPPA (2772) Traffic regulations began with the Boston Police Traffic Division By P.O. Robert E. Anthony, BPPA Historian I t all began when in the old days when horseless carriages, as they were called, came into Boston and caused big traffic problems in Downtown Boston and within all City limits. Boston Police Commissioner Stephen O’Meara looked for someone to handle the problem that was coming into Boston. He found a big, strong Patrolman with a German accent who at the time was assigned to keep things moving in Park Square. Bernard Hoppe was born inWestphalia, Germany in 1867. He immigrated to the United States and settled in Boston with his family as a young man, and he was educated in the Boston Public Schools. He was appointed a reserve officer in 1900 and a year later was appointed a patrolman and assigned to LaGrange Street Station. After a few years at the LaGrange Station, Captain James Canney, Commander of Station 4, was looking for someone to become a Traffic Officer in Park Square. Hoppe volunteered to man this assignment, and set off with a plan. The “Horseless Carriages” now called motor vehicles soon became a heavy traffic concern in this area. Hoppe was soon working on de- signing traffic plans with charts and graphs of the streets of Boston. He learned this trade for his educa- tion in the Boston Schools as a drafts- man and went to work looking to find traffic patterns to hand the heavy flow of traffic. Hoppe brought his ideas to Capt. Canney and Superintendent Michael Crowley. Motor traffic con- trol was something new and with the patterns of Boston streets, no other major city had a layout like Boston. Hoppe also came up with his own set of traffic control signals. He showed them some of the ideas like putting his upright arm with the palm toward the drivers should be a signal to stop. He said it was patterned on the old saying about “a punch in the face.” He showed them other hand movements. His traffic signals soon became the talk of the state, the Boston Automobile Dealers Association wrote to the Police Commissioner approving it. They suggested that other City and traffic officers learn Hoppe’s signals. Not long Hoppe was called before Deputy Supt. Thomas F. Goode who was put in charge of general traffic problems. Hoppe was showing his traffic designs at Police Headquarters and it was well received that training was given to other traffic officers. Hoppe is the first to use a whistle for traffic control he borrowed a letter carrier’s whistle and used it in connection with calling horse-drawn carriages or motor vehicles. Hoppe soon moved up the Ladder in the Department, promoted to Sergeant in 1916, and then promoted to Lieutenant within a few months when he was put in charge of a traffic division, later when the first organized traffic division was organized in Boston. It was stationed over Quincy Market. He was promoted to Captain a year later. Captain Hoppe is the developer of the methods of traffic direction that officers use to this day, later these were used to help plan the traf- fic lights. He developed a system of having a fixed time for the traffic to move in each direction and for a pedestrian crossing. He developed ideas to keep a steady flow of traffic by having officers that could see or hear each other for synchronization, the same method that is used today, with the traffic lights to keep them in synchronization. Hoppe retired in 1932 and passed away in 1939. Captain Bernard J. Hoppe said “My work would mean nothing if it were not supported wholeheartedly by all the men in the traffic department.” One of the biggest events to show how the Traffic was moving was during the Christmas sea- son of 1930. Captain Hoppe and his downtown Traffic Division received praise from the business people for handling the shopping crowds. On the streets of Washington to Summer Street, the traffic officers gave the pedestrians chance to cross the streets and move over 50 cars a minute through the intersections. During this time, Police Depart- ments from across the nation sent of- ficers to watch at the corners and see how traffic is handled. Boston traffic layout is like no other City in the Nation there are no big, wide streets for moving the business sections of traffic. Hoppe also designed a plan to keep cabs out of the street until they were needed. Patrolman Hoppe had agents of the different companies stationed at the theatre. The cabs would be parked on Hollis Street which at the time was a two-way street. The agent would wave and Hoppe would send a cab to pick up the patron. The whistles were never used for the traffic control unit until Hoppe put it into use and Hoppe is also credited with developing the signal for cabs that is used today. Patrolman Bernard Hoppe a member of the Boston Police Depart- ment was asked to appear before the Police Chief’s Association of Massachusetts in 1921 who had unanimously adopted his entire plan of operation and its traffic signals, which was then put into operation throughout the entire State. Training of these officers was observed at various locations while our officers directed traffic. In closing, the Boston Police Department has another “First” to its credit. We thank Patrolman Bernard J. Hoppe and will never forget our heroes. Stay Safe on your Tour of Duty.