Turn all stoplights green (not red!) at the same time. This was actually the idea of a scifi story back in the 1960s--it came out first as a short story (probably in Analog), then as a book. (FWIW, I found the short story better.)
Like many of the ideas in the book 1984, turning all the stoplights green at the same time in New York City was probably not possible in the 1960s. It is now.
The Italian Job has this as a plot point back in 1969. IIRC, it was even more sophisticated than just turning all the lights green.
Retrieving the gold is left as an exercise to the reader.
IMHO: if you want an entertaining movie, watch the 2003 movie. If you're planning a bank heist, the 1969 version is probably more informative. N.B.: I've never done a bank job.
I don't think it is. When you install a signal controller there's this diode board, one diode for each phase. You use a wirecutter and remove diodes in order to tell the controller which phases ought to be allowed at the same time. What you're describing would only be possible if all signals were installed with all diodes removed.
I can't speak for the whole industry, but back when I was part of it, thats how our controllers worked. Admittedly, I don't think New York City was a customer.
A few decades back, Texas law specified that traffic lights must be wired in relays to not allow 2 perpendicular directions to be green at once. I hope this has not changed.
Like many of the ideas in the book 1984, turning all the stoplights green at the same time in New York City was probably not possible in the 1960s. It is now.