FOI request detail

Inspection and Testing Regime For Pelican Crossing in Windmill Hill, Enfield EN2

Request ID: FOI-4446-1718
Date published: 06 March 2018

You asked

Please advise me of the frequency of testing the functionality of the road traffic lights at the above pelican crossing. Please also provide details of the operating cycle at times of low traffic flow as well as high volume. It seems on activating the crossing button pedestrians have to sometimes wait for nearly a minute before getting a "Cross Now Indication” (with low traffic flow). I have also observed occasional spurious activation of the crossing cycle for pedestrians with no one in the vicinity of the crossing at all.

We answered

TfL Ref: FOI-4446-1718

Thank you for your email received by us on 08 February 2018 asking for information about inspection and testing for Pelican Crossing in Windmill Hill, Enfield EN2.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require.

I have answered your questions in the order you have asked them.


Please advise me of the frequency of testing the functionality of the road traffic lights at the above pelican crossing.

Our sites are inspected every 12 months and also cleaned with a bulk lamp change every 12 months. If there is a fault at the site in between these visits, we have a system in place which automatically reports faults directly to our Response Desk.

Here are updates regarding periodic inspections on the following sites as requested:

32/163 Windmill Hill by Waverley Road
Last Periodic Inspection: 23/08/2017
Last Clean: 28/09/2017

32/045 Windmill Hill by Florence Avenue
Last periodic Inspection: 11/04/2017
Last clean: 28/09/2017

Please also provide details of the operating cycle at times of low traffic flow as well as high volume.

At the crossing on Windmill Road by Waverly Road the operating cycle times at this crossing can vary between 27 seconds during very low traffic to up to 40 seconds under high traffic flow conditions.

At the crossing on Windmill Road by Florence Avenue the operating cycle is not influenced by the level of traffic and operates at 50 seconds.

However, to help reduce pedestrian wait times at both crossings if a pedestrian presses the request button at the Waverly Road crossing after the traffic has had at least 20 seconds of green signal time or 30 seconds for the Florence Road crossing the signals will immediately change to red for the traffic allowing the pedestrian signals to turn green sooner.


I have also observed occasional spurious activation of the crossing cycle for pedestrians with no one in the vicinity of the crossing at all.

Spurious activation of the crossing cycle for pedestrians when there is no one in the vicinity of the crossing at all would be caused by a fault. We have checked our fault management system and there is nothing reported. However, if you could let us know exactly which crossing you are referring to, the Asset Operations response desk would be able to investigate whether this is the case.

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


Paulina Tuffour
FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

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