FOI request detail

Pedestrian light timing changes, reasoning and assessments at Woodgrange Rd and Romford Rd junction

Request ID: FOI-0238-2021
Date published: 12 June 2020

You asked

I want to know your reasoning behind the changes to pedestrian traffic light timings at this junction in E7 around August last year, what changes you made, and what information was behind the responses to my several letters & emails about this going back years. The first response was ref xxxxxxxxxxxxx, and the last was xxxxxxxxxxxx. Why were my letters always misinterpreted & the danger ignored, leading to no change occurring? What safety assessments were carried out in response to my original letters?

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-0238-2021

Thank you for your emails of 16th May 2020 and 21st May 2020 asking for information about changes to pedestrian light timings.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. 

I have been in liaison with our Surface Transport team to address your questions. I am informed there were no written “reports” or “assessments” produced in relation to your prior communications with TfL. Rather, your comments were passed to the appropriate TfL personnel and they were investigated in the course of business as usual working - that is, the relevant staff considered the comments made;  exchanged various emails on the matter; the need for change was assessed; and it was agreed to change the timings. The relevant Performance and Planning Manager tells me that his records show the following sequence of events:

  • 5th Dec 2017: Our Asset Operations response desk received a complaint highlighting that the pedestrian crossings at the junction of Romford Road/Woodgrange Road did not all appear at the same time, and suggesting that pedestrians would face a long wait in the middle island or cross against the red signal. A member of the Asset Operations area team and an Engineer were asked to look into the matter;

  • 15th Dec 2017 – the Asset Operations staff member emailed the Performance and Planning Manager seeking his opinion on their proposal to modify the staging, to run all the crossing phases together at the junction in a ‘all red’ stage which would address the concerns raised. He endorsed this suggestion and asked for some small changes to make the site continue to operate efficiently. He assumed this would then be delivered with no further action from himself or his team;

  • 6th Sept 2018 – the Asset Operations staff member emails the Performance and Planning Manager, advising that the customer has contacted TfL again. The officer in charge of delivering the agreed changes had left the organisation and hence progress had stalled. The Performance and Planning Manager worked with the Asset Operations team to get the matter progressing again;

  • 14th August 2019 – the junction changes are deployed. From this point onwards the junction operates all crossing points in unison addressing the original concerns raised.

A file note from our Asset Operations team reads as follows:

“The customer was ‘concerned’ that the crossings around the junction would show the green man for a ‘long time’ which seemed, in their view, wasteful. At this junction some of the crossing movements can safely operate whilst the traffic is running, not uncommon. The customer also raised that pedestrians were crossing against a red signal and wanted something done about that. XXXX XXXX attended the junction and found the safety timings to be in keeping with DfT guidelines and safe; he also observed that people we crossing against a red signal which was a matter we felt required improvement which then led to the changes made in how the junction operated on 14th August 2019.”

So, in short, TfL responded positively to the suggestions made, but due to turnover in personnel the delivery was fragmented and took a lot longer than would be desired.

If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.

On a more general matter, please note that the Government has announced a series of measures to tackle the coronavirus. It is essential for London that we continue to provide a safe transport network for essential journeys.

In current circumstances, we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present.

Answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. In any event, please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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