Stuck at a red light? Blame Garrett Morgan


LANDOVER, Md. — Near FedEx Field is a memorial to Garrett Augustus Morgan. The mosaic includes text that reads:

Garrett Augustus Morgan was an influential African-American businessman and inventor whose innovations included an early traffic signal that greatly improved safety on America's streets. Morgan is also credited for inventing the gas mask, which was later refined for use by the U.S. Army during World War I.

Both the main road to FedEx Field and the nearby Metro station are named after Morgan. I find it appropriate that an area in the middle of nowhere where 91,000 people converge eight times per year is named after a pioneer in traffic safety.

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