Taipei City Government

According to the Department of Transportation, Taipei City Government, the world famous “little green man” traffic light was born on March 18, 1999, at the junction of Songzhi Road and Songshou Road. This is the world’s first traffic light that uses a countdown timer and animated green man. Not only have Taipei City and the whole of Taiwan fully adopted this traffic light, but countries such as the U.S., Germany, Japan and China have also successively introduced it, and garnered positive responses since its implementation.

In the early days, traffic lights used green and red to convey messages. When the green light is on, it means that pedestrians may cross the road; and when the red light is on, no crossing is allowed. Today, the “little green man” traffic light is formed by seven different patterns, where visual persistence is used to create the impression of a green man walking or running. When the little green man walks at a slow pace, it means there is still ample time; when he starts to run, you are reminded to cross quickly; and when he changes to a standing little red man, it means that pedestrians are not allowed to cross.

The explanatory board at the birthplace of the little green man comes in two languages, Chinese and English, to allow the public and foreign tourists to learn about the origin of this traffic light. It serves as road safety advocacy and for city marketing. This place also provides the public access to check-in at their social networking websites. Through the explanatory board and by “checking in”, the public can learn more about the implementation of the little green man and the story behind it. The little green man not only serves as a guardian for pedestrian safety, but also symbolizes respect for pedestrians.