I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London... would
that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?
The road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but it has been
deliberately narrowed by barriers to one lane, and rather than give one
direction priority (as they usually do when they deliberately narrow the
road to one lane) they have installed traffic lights to alternate the flow.
If Boris wants to retime lights to reduce congestion, he could retime this
installation to the scrapyard.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...cl=1&encType=1

John Rowland wrote:
I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London... would
that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?

In the sense that they'll have installed them and programmed them. The
borough will have decided what to install where.

The road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but it has been
deliberately narrowed by barriers to one lane, and rather than give one
direction priority (as they usually do when they deliberately narrow the
road to one lane) they have installed traffic lights to alternate the flow.

Persistent speeding problem, and a couple of head-ons before the lights
went in?

If Boris wants to retime lights to reduce congestion, he could retime this
installation to the scrapyard.

I suggest you ask the borough what it's there for.

Colin McKenzie


--
No-one has ever proved that cycle helmets make cycling any safer at the
population level, and anyway cycling is about as safe per mile as walking.
Make an informed choice - visit www.cyclehelmets.org.

On 16 Sep, 10:01, Colin McKenzie wrote:

John Rowland wrote:
I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London... would
that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?

In the sense that they'll have installed them and programmed them. The
borough will have decided what to install where.


In essence, yes, though it depends upon whether the road is controlled
by the Borough or by TfL. TfL is responsible for major roads
throughout Greater London - what was originally known as the Greater
London Road Network (GLRN) but is now known as the TfL Road Network
(TLRN) - these can all be easily identified as they're all Red Routes.
All other public roads (apart from Motorways, which are the domain of
the Highways Authority) are the responsibility of the Boroughs.

AIUI with regards to the TLRN, TfL Streets is responsible for
everything including the pavement, but acts in consultation with the
Boroughs - so if a road is in need of a signal controlled crossing,
for example if there's a new school, then the Borough will liaise with
TfL.

If however it is a Borough controlled road then - as Colin rightly
says - TfL Streets are merely responsible for the installation,
operation and maintenance of the traffic signals. I'm not sure what
the financial arrangements are behind this, though I'd certainly
imagine that the Boroughs have to pay for new installations.

Anyway, Beechcroft Road is not part of the TLRN and so is a Borough
controlled road - LB Wandsworth to be precise.


The road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but it has been
deliberately narrowed by barriers to one lane, and rather than give one
direction priority (as they usually do when they deliberately narrow the
road to one lane) they have installed traffic lights to alternate the flow.

Persistent speeding problem, and a couple of head-ons before the lights
went in?


Likely to have been requested or at least approved by the majority of
residents of the road. It's purpose is fairly obvious - to try and
persuade traffic to use the parallel main road - i.e. Trinity Road -
rather than rat-running along Beechcroft Road. There's also a
secondary school along that road.


If Boris wants to retime lights to reduce congestion, he could retime this
installation to the scrapyard.

I suggest you ask the borough what it's there for.


Indeed.

Incidentally, whilst we're vaguely on the topic, I am interested by
the various statements on traffic light timings in London. Under Ken,
we were told that many of the traffic light timings in London were in
contravention of the relevant law (too short a pedestrian cross phase
amongst other things) - so they got fixed. Now Boris comes in and says
that actually many of the current timings are in contravention of the
law.

I'm sure it's actually more complicated than that, and I must admit I
don't relish the thought of wading through some very technical
statutory instruments in an attempt to get to the bottom of this - not
least because I don't speak lingua trafficsignalia and will likely
just end up totally befuddled - so does anyone here have any
specialist knowledge on the matter (which extends beyond heresay heard
at the cab rank or similar)?

John Rowland wrote:
I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London...
would that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?

As others have said, TfL maintains all 6000-ish sets of lights on public
roads* in London. It directly controls about half of these from a central
computer system, which coordinates adjacent sets of lights, alters timings
according to time of day, day of the week and so on.

The remaining sets are autonomous, but TfL does set up the phases and
timings and can alter them (on site) as required.

Peter

* ie those where the highway authority is TfL, one of the boroughs or the
City of London. There are a few roads in London where the highway
authority is none of these (eg in the Royal Parks) and if there are any
traffic lights on those, I'm not sure who controls them.

--
Peter Campbell Smith ~ London ~ pjcs00 (a) gmail.com

Peter Campbell Smith wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London...
would that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?

As others have said, TfL maintains all 6000-ish sets of lights on
public roads* in London.

* ie those where the highway authority is TfL, one of the boroughs or
the City of London. There are a few roads in London where the highway
authority is none of these (eg in the Royal Parks) and if there are
any traffic lights on those, I'm not sure who controls them.

Hyde Park contains one lights which I believe is synchronised with the
adjacent one in Kensington Road, and so is probably controlled by TfL.
Regents Park contains two traffic light controlled junctions, and at least
one light-controlled pedestrian crossing.

On Sep 16, 9:15 am, "John Rowland"
wrote:
The road is wide enough for two lanes of traffic, but it has been
deliberately narrowed by barriers to one lane, and rather than give one
direction priority (as they usually do when they deliberately narrow the
road to one lane) they have installed traffic lights to alternate the flow.
If Boris wants to retime lights to reduce congestion, he could retime this
installation to the scrapyard.

Check if they've installed any CCTV or traffic light cameras nearby.
If not then just ignore the lights next time if you have a clear road
ahead. I do it all the time with roadworks traffic lights if the
traffic is light.

B2003

On Sep 17, 12:37*pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
Peter Campbell Smith wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
I've heard that TfL control all of the traffic lights in London...
would that include the one in Beechcroft Rd SW17?

As others have said, TfL maintains all 6000-ish sets of lights on
public roads* in London.

* ie those where the highway authority is TfL, one of the boroughs or
the City of London. *There are a few roads in London where the highway
authority is none of these (eg in the Royal Parks) and if there are
any traffic lights on those, I'm not sure who controls them.

Hyde Park contains one lights which I believe is synchronised with the
adjacent one in Kensington Road, and so is probably controlled by TfL.
Regents Park contains two traffic light controlled junctions, and at least
one light-controlled pedestrian crossing.

I can't understand what happens at the junction between Cheapside and
Queen/King Street. Since well before Ken, it always has an extended
period when all the traffic lights and all the pedestrian lights are
red, so nothing and no one is supposed to move.

The only possible reason I can think of is that everything there has
to stop to fit in with the timing of adjacent lights, but I can't see
why pedestrians shouldn't cross.

I can understand the frustration caused by such arrangements and the
temptation to disobey.