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/8903

 

Subject: A237 LION GREEN ROAD - 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

Good morning,

Apologies for the lack of acknowledgement. This has now been resent to you.

We confirm the request is in hand but given we are in the middle of the Christmas period and many staff members are on leave, there has been slight delays council-wide in getting responses back to us to issue. But we are endeavouring to retrieve the answers and will respond to you ASAP.

Kind regards,

Information Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House,
Mint Walk,
Croydon,
CR0 1EA

[Croydon Borough Council request email]
[email address]

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]

 

Dear Mr Kevin Lawrence

Request FOI/8903

Further to your request received on 11/12/2023, 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 A237 Lion Green
Road at the southern junction with Brighton Road and at the northern
junction with Chipstead Valley Road in Coulsdon operate poorly.
-
At busy times, eg MF 0730-0900 and 1630-1800, the green time for LGR at
CVR is often too short.
It used to be 50 seconds green of a 2-min cycle.
It is now 40 seconds, which is too short, and leads to long slow queues
from the Marlpit Lane roundabout, while other traffic flows fairly freely.

At quiet times, eg 0730 on Sundays, the green time for LGR at CVR is often
a minimum green of about 12 seconds.
This means that a short queue of 7-9 cars does not clear.
There is then a long red wait to go again.

Both of these cause needless congestion and delay.

-The green time for CVR also varies randomly.

At times it is about 35 seconds, which is ample.
At other times, when much traffic is trying to pass, the green is as short
as 15 seconds.

The two lane marking from CVR west is badly worn away.
When is this due for repainting? 

Response: Chipstead Valley Road is inspected monthly and the highway
inspectors will request a refresh of the carriageway marking as and when
required.

- At the southern end of LGR at Brighton Road, the green time is erratic.

It is often very long – over a minute.

At times, it is short, maybe only 15 seconds, despite much traffic waiting
to move through.

-The extended green time to move into the town northbound from ML
roundabout is too short.
It is typically only 5-6 seconds – just long enough for traffic already
past the STOP line to move off, but not long enough for any behind the
STOP line to get through.

The green time to exit the town does not cut off after say 12 seconds when
only a few cars are waiting.

-This junction would operate better if the right turn from BNR into LGR
were banned.
Then traffic could flow north into the town as traffic flows south out of
town.

-Why do these signals operate in this perverse manner? 

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

-What communications has Croydon Council received, eg from TFL, Croydon
members, or from the public, on this matter?

Response: 1 known

What has been the Croydon Council reply?
How does Croydon Council propose to rectify these issues?
-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.  
What devices exist at these locations to measure and act on traffic
demand, and how do they work?
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?

Response: For the above questions, TfL is responsible for the management
and operation of all traffic signals in London.

- At BNR / LGR, a roundabout would provide a much better outcome for all
road users – with a pelican crossing across LGR for those on foot.

What analysis has been or will be performed to find an improved junction
layout along these lines?

Response: No analysis is being proposed by Croydon Council at present.

Will Croydon Council actively investigate this option, with a view to
early implementation?

Response: No. Not enough concerns have been raised to warrant diverting
resources to undertake an analysis.

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
Wilmslo
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

Visible links
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]