Guidance Bulletin 41

On Your Bike! Working In Designated Cycle Lanes

You must ensure suitable provisions are made for the safety of cyclists passing or crossing the works. Particular care is needed where cycle lanes or cycle tracks are affected by street works or road works because these routes may be especially popular with cyclists.

A cycle lane marked with a solid white line will have been created by means of a Traffic Regulation Order and therefore can only be closed by a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order or Notice (TTRO / TTRN). Where one of these is affected by planned works, a competent person will need to discuss the situation with the highway authority well before work starts because it may be necessary to obtain the appropriate consent to suspend the cycle lane. Consent is not required in advance for emergency works but must be applied for retrospectively at the earliest opportunity after commencement.

You will need a TTRO / TTRN if you do any of the following in a Designated Cycle Lane:

• Excavate
• Redirect pedestrians into the cycle lane due to works in footway
• Place spoil or equipment
• Open a chamber or cover at traffic sensitive time on a traffic sensitive street if the designation applies to the cycle lane
• Potentially park a vehicle – this should be avoided wherever possible if it is the only obstruction

If you are closing a cycleway you will need to place advance signage such a Cycleway Closed Ahead and Cycleway Closed together with a variation of the Cyclist Dismount sign. None of these signs are currently mandatory under the Safety Code of Practice (Red Book) but are strongly recommended to inform users and provide guidance.

DO'S & DON'TS

• DO Check in advance if the works are going to affect a cycle lane
• DO Contact the HA to discuss the works and how you propose to manage cyclists
• DO Use the recommended signs above to provide information and guidance to cyclists
• DO Try to avoid closing a cycle lane if at all possible, especially if alternatives are available
• DON'T Block a designated cycleway without checking you have the appropriate consents (TTRO / TTRN) in place
• DON'T Forget to update your permit if the cycleway closure was not on the original application
• DON'T Assume someone has checked if a TTRO / TTRN is in place check yourself
• DON'T Block a designated cycleway without putting out the appropriate signage
• DON'T Block a cycle lane with a vehicle it is a parking offence to park in a designated cycle lane

HAUC(UK) thanks Morrison Water Services in their help in the creation of this guidance.

IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT, CONTACT YOUR SUPERVISOR FOR FURTHER ADVICE

DO HIGHWAYS THE RIGHTWAYS