Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

Dear Kevin Lawrence

 

Freedom of information request - FOI/8872

 

Subject: FOI - A236 LOWER COOMBE STREET - TRAFFIC SIGNALS – Poor Phasing –
Timing Details

Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, subject to the application of
any exemptions. Where consideration is being given to exemptions the 20
working day timescale may be extended to a period considered reasonable
depending on the nature and circumstances of your request. In such cases
you will be notified and, where possible, a revised time-scale will be
indicated. In all cases we shall attempt to deal with your request at the
earliest opportunity.

If we are unable to provide you with the information requested we will
notify you of this together with the reason(s) why, and details of how you
may appeal.

Please note that the directorate team may contact you for further
information where we believe that the request is not significantly clear
for us to respond fully. 

Kind Regard

Information Management Team

 

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

 

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

Dear Kevin Lawrence

Request FOI/8872

Further to your request received on 14/12/2023, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000. For ease of reference, I will now address each of your questions in
turn.
 

It is an observed fact that the traffic signals on the A236 Lower Coombe
Street at the junction with Coombe Road and South End operate poorly.

The green time for Lower Coombe Street is generally very short – often
only long enough for 2-5 cars to pass.

This applies at busy times and at quiet times – for example 1915 midweek.

This leads to long slow queues of traffic along this key main traffic
route.

At busy times, eastbound traffic tails back from the Park Lane traffic
signals, due to the green time for Coombe Road eastbound there being too
short in the evening peak.

However the green for LCS is still too short, even when there is no
tailing back opposite.

It is clear there could be longer green time for these movements without
significant adverse impact on other movements.

Why do these two sets of traffic signals (LCS / South End and Coombe Road 
/ Park Lane) operate this way? 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of
all traffic signals in London

- Please provide full details of the design timings at each of these
locations, including the phasing plans, explaining how the total cycle
time, and the green time for each phase is set, and how this varies by
time of day and day of the week, and notably by traffic demand. 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of
all traffic signals in London

- What devices exist at these locations to measure and act on traffic
demand, and how do they work? 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of
all traffic signals in London

- How in general does Croydon Council monitors traffic signals to ensure
they operate as designed, and achieve the intended outcomes, and also
avoid unintended negative results? How has this applied at this location? 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of
all traffic signals in London

How does Croydon Council propose to rectify these issues? 

Response: see above

- What data has the council on traffic flow at these two junctions –
volume for each movement by time of day and day of week? Please provide
details. 

Response: No known current data

- There is a large box junction, and a traffic enforcement camera at this
location.

How many penalties have been issued here by month over the past 3 years,
and for what contraventions? 

Response:  See attached document

What evaluation has the council for the impact of this on traffic flow? 

Response: None

 

The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)

To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:

[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)

 

If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act, you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:

 

Email:        [2][Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

Writing:     Information Team

London Borough of Croydon

Bernard Weatherill House

Floor 7 - Zone B

8 Mint Walk

Croydon, CR0 1EA

 

Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Information Team

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

Bernard Wetherill House,

Mint Walk,

Croydon,

CR0 1EA

 

 

[3][Croydon Borough Council request email]

[4][email address]

 

References

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1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
2. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
3. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
4. mailto:[email address]

Good morning,

Apologies for the oversight. Please see the document attached.

Kind regards,
Information Team.
 

Dear [email address],

The "attached document" appears to be missing.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Lawrence

show quoted sections

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

 

This response has also been sent to [email address] by
Zunerah Anjum

Dear Kevin Lawrence, 

Thank you for your email regarding the status of your internal review
request. We apologies for the delay in our response.

I can confirm an internal review was submitted on 25/01/2024 and the
request is currently with our legal team. Once your request has any
further updates my colleague will be in touch. 

We apologies for any inconvenience this has caused and are working to get
a review sent out to you as soon as possible. 
We thank you for your kind patience. 
???????

Kind regards, 
Information Management Team. 

Dear Kevin Lawrence,

 

Further to your email dated 20 January 2024, in which you requested an
Internal Review of the Council’s response to your request for information
made under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA), I have now concluded
this review and I am able to reply as follows.  Please accept my apologies
for the delay in replying to you.

 

In your request for Internal Review, you asked the Council to reconsider
your request as you believed that you had not been provided with the
information requested.

 

The Council reponed to your request for information dated 14 December 2023
on the Council responded to you on the 16 January 2024 and provided the
following response:

 

“It is an observed fact that the traffic signals on the A236 Lower Coombe
Street at the junction with Coombe Road and South End operate poorly.

 

The green time for Lower Coombe Street is generally very short – often
only long enough for 2-5 cars to pass.

 

This applies at busy times and at quiet times – for example 1915 midweek.

 

This leads to long slow queues of traffic along this key main traffic
route.

 

At busy times, eastbound traffic tails back from the Park Lane traffic
signals, due to the green time for Coombe Road eastbound there being too
short in the evening peak.

 

However the green for LCS is still too short, even when there is no
tailing back opposite.

 

It is clear there could be longer green time for these movements without
significant adverse impact on other movements.

 

Why do these two sets of traffic signals (LCS / South End and Coombe Road 
/ Park Lane) operate this way?

 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of all
traffic signals in London

 

- Please provide full details of the design timings at each of these
locations, including the phasing plans, explaining how the total cycle
time, and the green time for each phase is set, and how this varies by
time of day and day of the week, and notably by traffic demand.

 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of all
traffic signals in London

 

- What devices exist at these locations to measure and act on traffic
demand, and how do they work?

 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of all
traffic signals in London

 

- How in general does Croydon Council monitors traffic signals to ensure
they operate as designed, and achieve the intended outcomes, and also
avoid unintended negative results? How has this applied at this location?

 

Response: TfL is responsible for the management and operation of all
traffic signals in London

 

How does Croydon Council propose to rectify these issues?

 

Response: see above

 

- What data has the council on traffic flow at these two junctions –
volume for each movement by time of day and day of week? Please provide
details.

 

Response: No known current data

 

- There is a large box junction, and a traffic enforcement camera at this
location.

 

How many penalties have been issued here by month over the past 3 years,
and for what contraventions?

 

Response:  See attached document

 

What evaluation has the council for the impact of this on traffic flow?

 

Response: None”

 

In your request for an Internal Review dated 20 January 2024, you stated
the following:

 

“I am writing to request an internal review of Croydon Borough Council's
handling of my FOI request 'A236 LOWER COOMBE STREET - TRAFFIC SIGNALS –
Poor Phasing – Timing Details'.

 

It is widely held that the proliferation of poorly managed traffic signals
is one major factor in the decline in efficiency of the road network in
London over the past 25 years, and the increased congestion and delay
which blights the lives of all who use it,and holds back the country’s
economy.

 

1 – The council is under a duty to assist, ie to be helpful, rather than
avoid providing useful information.

 

In its response, the council has not met that duty.

2 – None of the roads here are on the TLRN.

 

The council is the highway authority for this junction.

 

TFL may be “responsible for the management and operation of all traffic
signals in London”, however at this location, TFL is the agent of Croydon
Council, and must ensure that the traffic signals operate to meet the
requirements of the council in its role as highway authority,

 

The council should have made this clear, rather than simply dismissing the
enquiries made.

 

3 – When the council was asked to explain the observed poor operation of
the traffic signals, the council needs to explain how such issues are
detected, analysed and rectified by the council, possibly by asking or
instructing TFL accordingly.

 

4 – Since the council is responsible for the operation of the junction,
and ensuring that this complies with the requirements of the TMA in terms
of minimising delay to all road users, the council needs access to the
timing plans and methods of measuring demand at the junction.

 

The council needs to state whether they do in fact have such details, and
if they do not, how they can direct TFL to ensure the signals operate in
the best way possible in terms of the council’s TMA duties.

 

5 – “- How in general does Croydon Council monitor traffic signals to
ensure they operate as designed, and achieve the intended outcomes, and
also avoid unintended negative results? How has this applied at this
location? ”

 

TFL is only the highway authority for the A23, the A22 and the A232.

 

The council is the highway authority for the vast majority of roads and
junctions in the borough.

 

Even along these roads, the council remains responsible for the roads that
intersect them.

 

As stated above, except on the three roads listed, the council is
responsible for traffic management, including the operation of traffic
signals.

 

TFL is the agent of the council, and is responsible for ensuring that the
signals operate in the way that the council specifies and requires.

 

Regardless, Croydon Council is responsible for ensuring that all traffic
signals in the borough, apart from those exclusively on the three roads
listed, operate in the best way possible for delivering the maximum
traffic throughput with the minimum delay, so that all road users and the
wider public and economy get the maximum benefit with the minimum adverse
impact from the road network.

 

The response given is wholly inadequate and requires revision in light of
the council's duties under the TMA and other legislation.

 

6 – “- What data has the council on traffic flow at these two junctions –
volume for each movement by time of day and day of week? Please provide
details.“

“Response: No known current data”

 

The question did not ask solely for current data.

 

The council has ignored its duty to check for any data that may be held.

 

7 – The council will presumably directly provide the missing data on its
enforcement actions at this location?

 

8 – The council states it has no information as to the impact its traffic
enforcement has on traffic flow.

 

That begs the question as to why the council performs any enforcement at
this location – especially when it claims that TFL is “responsible for the
management and operation of all traffic signals in London”?

 

Is it just a way to harshly punish the public when they make an innocent
mistake?

 

9 – The council has not suggested that TFL have any way to monitor and
analyse these traffic signals, or indeed any others which are not in the
TLRN – the three roads listed.

 

TFL presumably respond to requests from the council.

 

The key question which remains, given the council response to this FOI, is
how the public can possibly believe that traffic signals on borough roads
are actually being analysed and managed in a way that reflects changes in
traffic demand and other needs, rather than just being left as part of an
inefficient, not fit-for-purpose, rundown, neglected and deteriorating
road network?”

 

On receiving your request for an Internal Review, I contacted the Highway
Operations Manager,. I have been informed that the Council do not hold the
requested information as the signals are managed and maintained by
Transport for London (TfL).

 

TfL are responsible for the management and operation of all traffic
signals in London, not only on the TLRN but they also provided a service
to all London Boroughs for the roads for which they are the highway
authority. Further the Traffic signals in London are owned and maintained
by TfL and the Council commissions installation of new signals from them.
To report problems with traffic lights please contact TFL on 0845305 1234
or go to the Transport of London website -
[1]https://streetcare.tfl.gov.uk/.  As such the Council does not hold any
data on the traffic signals at this junction. 

 

Should you wish to make an Freedom of Information request for information
on traffic signals, please contact TfL - [2][email address] ([3]Freedom of
Information - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk))

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the Internal Review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Howard Passman

020 8726 6000 ext. 27103

 

 

Resources Directorate

Legal Services Division

12th Floor
Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

 

Council services, online, 24/7 www.croydon.gov.uk/myaccount.

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References

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