Are there rules on roadworks on cycle paths?

[KnackeredBike]

Part of my commute is on a busy segregated cycle and footpath.

Thames Water are doing some works on it at the moment, these have been going on for over a year with little evidence of men on site.

At various points along the route they have fenced of over two thirds of the width of the path meaning everyone is forced into a single line to get by. If a pedestrian is walking through it can be quite a wait on the bike for them to clear the works.

I reported it to the council once already on FixMyStreet because they were also using most of the width of the cycle path to store signs as well which were removed quite quickly. I was wondering if there are any rules about whether they can mess up the cycle path like this for months on end so that I can at least give the council a stick to beat them with. I'm sure it wouldn't be allowed to close off most of a road for months and months and it's getting on my wick that the attitude is clearly that it is a cycle path and doesn't matter if cyclists and peds are inconvenienced.

 

[Slick]

Have you seen the state of the roads lately, cluttering them up with road works has become a national past time. Just keep complaining in the normal way, eventually someone will react. Pictures may help.

 

[subaqua]

Yes and no. If existing stuff is narrowed then any cycle lanes must be kept open .

They can't use the cyclist dismount bollix .

It's in the TfL handbook .

 

[mjr]

Yes, cycle tracks are part of the highway so they're covered by the New Roads and Street Works Act, which means any roadworks on them must comply with the Code of Practice on Safety at Street Works, which was beefed up last year.

Unfortunately, enforcement is the responsibility of the Street Works Officer of the highways authority, which is usually the local council. I suspect there are some good ones out there somewhere who give a toss whether cyclists end up in an open trench or thrown into a carriageway...