modernisation of TfL stations and the introduction of new services
Request ID: FOI-1567-2223 Date published: 02 November 2022
You asked
I've got some questions about technology and metrics for evaluating the benefits of projects on the
users of TfL stations.
Do you have any documentation on the testing and data analysis that is used to evaluate the benefits
of new services for the various TfL station end users?
Do you have any documentation on the metrics and the statistical work that is undertaken to
evaluate the impacts and benefits of new services on the users of TfL stations?
This is a slightly more specialised question.
Do you have any information / documentation on the criteria that you use to train, test and evaluate
the impact of AI systems on the end users of the services that TfL provides?
Do you have any documentation on the potential carbon footprint that is associated with new
building projects that TfL undertakes?
Do you have documentation on the approach that TfL has towards inclusivity when introducing new
technology? For example
• gathering requirements
• validating software
• adopting metrics to measure the effectiveness of the new technology
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1564-2223 Thank you for your revised request received by us on 7 October 2022, asking for information about planning and modernisation across TfL. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we hold some of the information you require.
Unfortunately, to provide the information you have requested would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
We have estimated that it would considerably exceed the cost to provide a response to your current request. Many of your questions about transport planning are too broad and would require input from a number of different business areas across TfL. TfL has a large number of data sets for each of its areas. Providing specifics on each case would be very time consuming as we would have to manually identify, retrieve and compile the information that’s in scope of your request.
The key data driving service planning decisions for public transport is usage data which is available publicly; e.g. the data set of passenger demand is available via http://crowding.data.tfl.gov.uk/.
With regard to your question about inclusivity on technology design, please note we don’t write our documents from a data perspective as data exists to serve a propose not the other way round, e.g. the design guidance sets out how to be inclusive rather than other way round.
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by Transport for London. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of TfL.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, TfL does not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
