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)?