Freedom of Information request - pedestrian phases at crossings
Request ID: FOI-2346-2223 Date published: 18 January 2023
You asked
How many pedestrain crossings on TFL roads have a total pedestrian phase (green man plus countdown) of 10 seconds or less?
The context is the recent sad death of a pedestrian in shoreditch and the coroner stating that ten seconds is unreasonably short
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2346-2223/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 16 December 2022 asking for information about pedestrian phases at crossings. Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require. TfL is responsible for all traffic signal and control equipment on the public highway within the GLA boundary (approximately 6,400 sites), both on TfL highway (the Transport for London Road Network - TLRN) and borough highways. There are a range of pedestrian crossing types in use in London, though for the past ten years a farside pedestrian crossing with countdown (PedEx with PCATS [pedestrian countdown at traffic signals]) has been TfL’spreferred type for all new and refurbished installations. The pedestrian timing period consists of a green invitation to cross and an ‘intergreen’ safety period, which is the time following the end of a pedestrian green invitation and before conflicting traffic movements receive a green signal where pedestrians have time to have completed their crossing. Where installed, the PCATS time period is part of the intergreen. The intergreen time is calculated using road crossing width and TfL designs conform to the Design Manual for roads and Bridges (DMRB) national standards for signal timings. There is no national or local TfL standard that requires pedestrian green invitation and PCATS time combined to be greater than 10 seconds. The full range of UK crossing types, design standards and operation can be found in Chapter 6 traffic Control of the DMRB (signal controlled crossings are in section 18, starting at page 132): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/851465/dft-traffic-signs-manual-chapter-6.pdf To reply to your specific request, only standalone pedestrian crossings with PCATS installed have been considered because the way our data is stored means it is not possible to provide PCATS timing detail at pedestrian crossing points that are a part of signalised junctions. The green invitation to cross periods are assumed to be the minimum time configured, though in practice some crossings may operate longer green times depending on time of day or day of week. TfL design of intergreen periods are all in compliance with the above national standards. There are 3384 standalone signalised pedestrian crossings operated by TfL in London, 854 of these crossings have PCATS facility installed. There are 271 such pedestrian crossings in London, with 36 on the TLRN, that have a combined green invitation to cross and pedestrian countdown of 10 seconds or below. If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal. Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
