The 1st one way Street

The first one way street was here in London.

Location: Albermarle Street

Description: It is understood that Albemarle Street is the first road in London to be made One Way only and policed as such.

It stems from the 1920's when the Royal Institution's popular science lectures by Samuel Taylor Coleridge made for unbecoming chaos in the street outside.

The R.I. provided specific instructions to coach drivers about the direction on Albemarle Street in which they should drop off and collect their passengers.

It was necessary that the Royal Institution enforce this rule by their paying for constables from Marlborough Street to police it.

On one teething point occasion a coach driver strongly disagreed with a constable about the direction of traffic flow, and to avoid prosecution for his actions was forced to issue a printed statement of apology.

This is certainly an early example of London traffic management.