Traffic lights timing on the A4123

Dear Sir or Madam,

Recent news reports (e.g. at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news...
)have stated that
official central government policy until very recently from the
Department of Transport was to specifically encourage traffic light
timing cycles that hindered progress by the motorist, in order for
them to use more fuel (from stopping and starting) and therefore
pay more fuel duty to the Treasury.I am often delayed by traffic
lights on my way to Wolverhampon,and in view of this article,
please could you supply me with details of any
traffic light signals on the A4123 where the timing cycles
have been INTENTIONALLY set to hinder the progress of
motorists.Please advise if Highways are responsible for the entire
length of the A4123 between the Hagley Road and
Wolverhampton.Please advise if traffic light controls are always
set to
allow consistent amounts of `green`time between changes,who decides
about the light settings, and why the `green`time seems to vary
between different sets of
lights.How is the amount of `green`time calculated and does it
depend on the traffic volume or speed of the road or vary during
day or night?

Yours faithfully,

Dennis Fallon

Dear Claire Coniff,
Thank you for your reply,but according to Wikipedia (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highways_Ag....)the A4123 is a trunk
road under the control of Highways.It may be useful to edit and
update the Wikipedia content.I presume Highways abdicated
responsibility only recently.I have had problems on this road over
SEVERAL YEARS,so I would like to AMMEND my FOI so that all queries
therein refer to "whilst the A4123 was controlled by Highways.."in
order to understand the Highways perspective on these issues.Please
also clarify the DATE on which Highways rescinded control,and
confirm if the FULL length of the A4123 was under control prior to
that date.I am sorry about the confusion caused by Wikipedia
information.

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon

Dear Katy Hindson,thank you for your technical reply which now
enables me to define my query more precisely.I have an issue with
red light cameras since a vehicle ahead of me once did an EMERGENCY
STOP,in pouring rain,when some traffic lights changed to amber and
they panic braked,causing a rear end shunt.It was a totally
unnecessary accident.I now often travel down the A4123 and although
the lights seem to operate sensibly during the day there seem to be
something peculiar happening at night whereby the lights may change
erratically and which I believe to be dangerous.I will focus on
just TW0 junctions either side of the M5, namely the A4123 junction
with the B4169 Causeway Green and the A4123 junction with the A457
Sedgley Road.As I mentioned earlier,traffic lights should be
trustworthy and reliable to prevent unexpected accidents,BUT I have
noticed that the green time at night on the MAIN road(A4123)is
TOTALLY UNTRUSTWORTHY,varying from 8 seconds to over one minute.I
would like to know why this should be happening.Surely the main
road,when there is virtually no traffic crossing it,should have a
reliable MINIMUM green of one minute and NOT be changing at twice
the frequency as during daylight hours?You will appreciate my
concern and I would appreciate advice as to who(Highways or
Wolverhampton MBC?)are responsible for these named junctions,and an
explanation as to why the lights change so erratically,and in my
opinion dangerously, at night.Allowing only 8 seconds of green
passage for the main road seems totally inappropriate.Is it all the
fault of SCOOT or some deliberate policy?
Thanking you in anticipation,

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon

Dear Katy Hindson,thank you for your technical reply which now
enables me to define my query more precisely.I have an issue with
red light cameras since a vehicle ahead of me once did an EMERGENCY
STOP,in pouring rain,when some traffic lights changed to amber and
they panic braked,causing a rear end shunt.It was a totally
unnecessary accident.I now often travel down the A4123 and although
the lights seem to operate sensibly during the day there seem to be
something peculiar happening at night whereby the lights may change
erratically and which I believe to be dangerous.I will focus on
just TW0 junctions either side of the M5, namely the A4123 junction
with the B4169 Causeway Green and the A4123 junction with the A457
Sedgley Road.As I mentioned earlier,traffic lights should be
trustworthy and reliable to prevent unexpected accidents,BUT I have
noticed that the green time at night on the MAIN road(A4123)is
TOTALLY UNTRUSTWORTHY,varying from 8 seconds to over one minute.I
would like to know why this should be happening.Surely the main
road,when there is virtually no traffic crossing it,should have a
reliable MINIMUM green of one minute and NOT be changing at twice
the frequency as during daylight hours?You will appreciate my
concern and I would appreciate advice as to who(Highways or
Wolverhampton MBC?)are responsible for these named junctions,and an
explanation as to why the lights change so erratically,and in my
opinion dangerously, at night.Allowing only 8 seconds of green
passage for the main road seems totally inappropriate.Is it all the
fault of SCOOT or some deliberate policy?
Thanking you in anticipation,

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon