Riding on pavements !!

[Malfunction]

I went out on a little (5mile) ride earlier and couldn't believe the number of people riding on the pavement, I must have seen 10 people, one party was a woman with two small children on there own bikes so I can understand that, but the others were adults !! seems they must assume every pavement is a cyclepath.
I'm only just getting back into cycling at 62 thanks to ebike not having ridden since my teens but I seem to recall all those years ago if a copper saw you riding on the pavement you would get a severe telling off at least.
Have the laws been relaxed over the years.

 

[peerjay56]

I went out on a little (5mile) ride earlier and couldn't believe the number of people riding on the pavement, I must have seen 10 people, one party was a woman with two small children on there own bikes so I can understand that, but the others were adults !! seems they must assume every pavement is a cyclepath.
I'm only just getting back into cycling at 62 thanks to ebike not having ridden since my teens but I seem to recall all those years ago if a copper saw you riding on the pavement you would get a severe telling off at least.
Have the laws been relaxed over the years.

The law is still the same (Highways act 1835), but, IMHO, the waters have certainly been muddied by the introduction of shared foot/cycleways. Sometimes it's difficult to tell where the cycleway ends. Plus, of course, there are now so many laws, and so few coppers (on the street!)

 

[Deleted member 4366]

They changed the law or its interpretation. Flecc or somebody else can probably give exact details. You can now ride on the pavement if it's safer to do so, i.e. if there's a dangerous junction or juggernauts bearing down on you. Naturally, you have to be careful about pedestrians.

 

[Richard_M]

I agree. There are many shared spaces, and the pavement is one of many. Your best asset is a tinkly old-school bike bell. The main thing is not to alarm pedestrians, ride at a sensible speed and be polite.

As a pedestrian, I have no probs stepping aside for a tinkling bike behind.
As a cyclist, I take it steady if I take to the path and try not to alarm anyone.

It's not strictly legal but with some road layouts and complex junctions, what else can you do ?

 

[Blew it]

....but the others were adults !! seems they must assume every pavement is a cyclepath.

There are any number of reasons why adults ride on pavements, the most obvious, particularly with elderly riders, is a desire to continue living. Matters are not improved by the existence of "shared paths".

In my home town, the majority of the shared routes are the standard ten feet wide with a central or offset delineating white line. Significantly, these are the earlier additions to the extensive network of safe cycling routes in Swindon. Newer additions to this network have no such markings on them, just the occasional blue sign indicating shared use. Such paths in the urban areas are not even six feet wide, but still shown as cycle routes. As I understand it, these examples are the first tentative moves toward "shared space" initiatives. (Typically belligerent Brits "sharing"....that's a joke for sure)

The local situation is well known, there being just two places in Swindon where riding a bicycle will certainly attract a spot fine, the pedestrian precinct in town center and Cricklade road. Elsewhere, it's a matter of local conventions. The thought patterns of Joe soap public are the result of straight-line thinking "If it's ok to ride on this six foot wide pavement, how come it aint on that one"....a difficult logic to question.

Part of the reason for adults riding on pavements can be firmly laid at the doorstep of the government funded quango known as "Sustrans".... an unaccountable jobs-for-the-boys organisation that would rather mix pedestrians and cyclists together rather than lumber their paymasters with the huge expense of providing segregated cycling routes similar to those that are the norm in mainland Europe. Sustrans are the worst enemy of British cyclists.

I agree entirely with your sentiments, but until such time as the government is prepared to accept the unpalatable truth that cage drivers have pushed us onto the relative safety of the pavements, then nothing will change.

Those of us that enjoy our short stay on this planet Earth have the absolute right to remain alive, if it means the occasional brush with the law in doing so....then so be it!

 

[103Alex1]

I can empathize with all written above. But I still can't bring myself to ride on a pavement except in serious circumstances.

 

[timidtom]

I can empathize with all written above. But I still can't bring myself to ride on a pavement except in serious circumstances.

I agree - I find riding on the pavement a contravention of my (and your!) rights as a pedestrian. In my dream of Utopia any road not wide enough to support two-way motor vehicle traffic, cyclists and pavements should be reduced to one-way motor traffic, with provision for pedestrians and cyclists. Isn't this what Sustrans is for?
Tom

 

[jazper53]

I agree - I find riding on the pavement a contravention of my (and your!) rights as a pedestrian. In my dream of Utopia any road not wide enough to support two-way motor vehicle traffic, cyclists and pavements should be reduced to one-way motor traffic, with provision for pedestrians and cyclists. Isn't this what Sustrans is for?
Tom

The law is a ass as proven on many occasions, when it comes to personal safety no man-made regulation is going curb my natural tendencies for self preservation

 

[timidtom]

The law is a ass as proven on many occasions, when it comes to personal safety no man-made regulation is going curb my natural tendencies for self preservation

What about the railwayman who was sacked for rescuing a woman and her wheelchair from the possibility of being crushed under a train? He was dismissed for venturing onto the track!
Tom

 

[morphix]

I went out on a little (5mile) ride earlier and couldn't believe the number of people riding on the pavement, I must have seen 10 people, one party was a woman with two small children on there own bikes so I can understand that, but the others were adults !! seems they must assume every pavement is a cyclepath.
I'm only just getting back into cycling at 62 thanks to ebike not having ridden since my teens but I seem to recall all those years ago if a copper saw you riding on the pavement you would get a severe telling off at least.
Have the laws been relaxed over the years.

This is a topic often covered. Most pavements are only for pedestrians and it's not legal to ride a bicycle on a pavement that are clearly only intended for pedestrians. However, I think most areas of the country don't enforce this law (just not practical) and most tolerate bicycles on any pavements, but the rules and approaches vary depending on Local Authority Council's policies I believe.

In my town, cycling on pavements is fully accepted almost anywhere (even the police do it), the only exception is shopping centres and very built-up areas like the main town centre, or pavements outside supermarkets where there's lots of people.

Like many towns, we do have some pavements which are dual-purpose with a line down the middle, and cycles-only marked track (which pedestrians annoyingly walk on, but I don't suppose we can complain when we ride on their pavements!). And we also have many signs telling cyclists to dismount in certain places, like bridges, and in the town centre etc.

A general rule of thumb to keep on the right side of the law and avoid any trouble is this...

In very built-up areas (i.e. shopping centres/town centre highstreets) with concentrated pedestrians, you shouldn't be cycling on the pavement as there's a risk of collision (and thus legal liability). It's just safer and smarter to dismount or just ride on the road in those areas. Some police officers WILL stop you and tell you to dismount in those areas (and possibly even caution or charge you, if you're using power and/or riding very fast).

On normal pavements, in housing estate areas or in parks etc... I adopt the "keep your attention fixed on pedestrians, go slower, and go carefully", making use of your bell and slowing down to 2-3mph a good 20-30 feet away from pedestrians for safe passing (especially if they have dogs which can be highly unpredictable and run straight into you!).

 

[eHomer]

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that most of the responses are focused on town and city riding, especially near "dangerous" junctions.

I'm lucky enough to have escaped from the smoke now, living in rural Norfolk, after 40 years in London. It was ingrained in me too that Coppers would give you quite a dressing down if they found you riding on the pavement back in the old days.

Times have changed though, as some people have already said on here. Fewer Police around, and busier with more serious road offences. Much more traffic, more complex road layouts, much worse driving, bigger trucks, lots of things to make cycling much more life-threatening in many locations.

I wouldn't dream of riding on the pavement in somewhere where it has many pedestrians, or on a shopping street etc..

There is one typical local example for me though, where I always use the pavement, even though it is not marked for dual use. There's a section of 60/50mph limit single carriageway, the A149, which is only just wide enough for commercial traffic and is very busy, being the main and only trunk route.

I was literally "blown off" my bike there once by a foreign plated juggernaut in broad daylight, his wheels brushing my coat. I now always cycle that section along the footway, carefully, and always giving way and/or dismounting for pedestrians. I've been passed by Police patrols many times, and they thankfully never take any notice.

 

[Robw1uk]

I tend to use paths more often as the state of the road in northampton are a joke and dangerous , And i was once riding up the a4500 northampton and a car pulled in from the outside lane and didnt think i needed space and clipped me , off i came ( first day with a helmet on ) luckily i was to bad hurt but shocked , the car didn't stop but an ambulance was behind me and took the car reg .. So great the police will catch up with them , surprise surprise the car wasn't registered and that's the end of it so paths all the way for me , i ride with care and let pedestrians know im there . some moan some dont but thats life .

Rob

 

[morphix]

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that most of the responses are focused on town and city riding, especially near "dangerous" junctions.

I'm lucky enough to have escaped from the smoke now, living in rural Norfolk, after 40 years in London. It was ingrained in me too that Coppers would give you quite a dressing down if they found you riding on the pavement back in the old days.
[/LIST]

I should have said too, my experiences are similar to yours eHomer.. where I live (Redditch, in Worcestershire) it's a semi-rural-type small town..70% countryside/long paths and no roads.. so I think cycling is just an accepted (and even encouraged) culture here in this town, on paths everywhere.. in a bigger town or city like London it might be very different, I have no experience of that.

 

[morphix]

I tend to use paths more often as the state of the road in northampton are a joke and dangerous , And i was once riding up the a4500 northampton and a car pulled in from the outside lane and didnt think i needed space and clipped me , off i came ( first day with a helmet on ) luckily i was to bad hurt but shocked , the car didn't stop but an ambulance was behind me and took the car reg .. So great the police will catch up with them , surprise surprise the car wasn't registered and that's the end of it so paths all the way for me , i ride with care and let pedestrians know im there . some moan some dont but thats life .

Rob

There is that provision in the law isn't there, (I can't remember the exact law, no doubt someone will know or correct me if I'm totally wrong here) whereby if it's safer for a cyclist to mount a pavement and come off a busy road, the law permits it, even if it's normally illegal to ride on the said pavement. Like a "reasonable use" or "reasonable cause to" clause or something..

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I found this on another forum. I don't know the source. I'm sure somebody posted something about this on this forum before:
"On 1st August 1999, new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway. However the Home Office issued guidance on how the new legislation should be applied, indicating that they should only be used where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others. At the time Home Office Minister Paul Boateng issued a letter stating that:
"The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required."

Almost identical advice has since been issued by the Home Office with regards the use of fixed penalty notices by 'Community Support Officers' and wardens.

"CSOs and accredited persons will be accountable in the same way as police officers. They will be under the direction and control of the chief officer, supervised on a daily basis by the local community beat officer and will be subject to the same police complaints system. The Government have included provision in the Anti Social Behaviour Bill to enable CSOs and accredited persons to stop those cycling irresponsibly on the pavement in order to issue a fixed penalty notice.

I should stress that the issue is about inconsiderate cycling on the pavements. The new provisions are not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of the traffic, and who show consideration to other road users when doing so. Chief officers recognise that the fixed penalty needs to be used with a considerable degree of discretion and it cannot be issued to anyone under the age of 16. (Letter to Mr H. Peel from John Crozier of The Home Office, reference T5080/4, 23 February 2004)"

Also, I forgot to mention before that the laws mentioned only apply to pathways along roads. They don't apply to alleys that cut through housing estates, parks, or anything similar. although separate bylaws might apply.