Request ID: FOI-2801-2223 Date published: 16 March 2023
You asked
Dear Sir or Madam…
I hope you’re safe and well.
I’m involved in a series of work addressing motorcycle rider safety and the clothing worn. This brings up questions of the required abrasion resistance of garments in relation to the surfaces being ridden on.
While we have data from National Highways regarding asphalt surfacing on major routes, we also need to gather information on surface dressing used by local councils and other authorities. Please could you help with the following request?
• Approximately how many miles of roads is your council responsible for?
• Approximately what percentage of these roads are surfaced with the following: Concrete, Asphalt, Surface dressing?
• Over the course of the next five years, approximately what percentage of your roads are further expected to become surface dressed?
Thanks very much for your time and if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We answered
TfL Ref: 2801-2223 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 30 January 2023 asking for information about our road surfaces. I apologise for the delay in replying to your request. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked: I’m involved in a series of work addressing motorcycle rider safety and the clothing worn. This brings up questions of the required abrasion resistance of garments in relation to the surfaces being ridden on. While we have data from National Highways regarding asphalt surfacing on major routes, we also need to gather information on surface dressing used by local councils and other authorities. Please could you help with the following request?
Approximately how many miles of roads is your council responsible for?
Approximately what percentage of these roads are surfaced with the following: Concrete, Asphalt, Surface dressing?
Over the course of the next five years, approximately what percentage of your roads are further expected to become surface dressed?
Please see the following link to a previously answered and published information request which answers your first question: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-2685-1920 We don’t hold any database containing the road surface type. However, most of our network (around 98%) has a Bituminous Surface (TSC,HRA, SMA, other Bit). We don’t have any lengths of roads on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), which is the network of roads we are responsible for), that are Surface Dressed. We only have a very small length of the TLRN with a concrete surface – mainly a few service roads and the short length on A406. We are considering surface dressing for some low risk situations, for example a residential concrete service road with low traffic, however there are no firm plans for this to be done. If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. 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 Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
