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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Jason is technically correct. The use of England/Wales
bridleways by cyclists is a lesser right than that held by pedestrians and
riders. It was added relatively recently (before, cyclists were not allowed on
bridleways under common law) and is subject both to the 'give way to others'
rule cited but also is not quite universal as the right of access is a default
right from central government that can be overridden by regulations made locally
(although I have yet to find an example of this).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>The reference is the Countryside Act (1968)
§30:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>"1. Any member of the public shall have, as a right of way,
the right to ride a bicycle, not being a mechanically propelled vehicle, on any
bridleway, but in exercising that right cyclists shall give way to pedestrians
and persons on horseback.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>2. Subsection (1) above has effect subject to any orders
made by a local authority, and to any byelaws."</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=859431208-15082009><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Nevertheless I would myself still tag as foot/horse/bicycle
all 'designated' as this is at least the default and the 'give way' rule does
not remove the cyclists' right (but how I wish that all bikes had bells and
all cyclists USED them!).</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Magneto color=#0000ff size=2>Mike Harris</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> Jason Cunningham
[mailto:jamicubat@googlemail.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> 15 August 2009
00:41<BR><B>To:</B> Nick Whitelegg; talk@openstreetmap.org<BR><B>Subject:</B>
Re: [OSM-talk] Proliferation of path vs. footway<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>
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style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">
<DIV class=im>Agree here. UK bridleways for instance should have
foot=designated;<BR></DIV>horse=designated; bicycle=designated as all three
have equal right. It<BR>would be a mistake to assume the horse rights are
greater than<BR>foot/bicycle; they are not.<BR><BR>I would similarly guess
the shared foot/cycleways in Germany would be<BR>similar, i.e.
foot=designated; bicycle=designated.<BR><FONT
color=#888888><BR>Nick</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR>After looking at the British Ramblers Association website today it
does not appear cyclists have equal rights on Bridelways. This website give
advice on access rights to footpaths etc in the UK, and it says<BR>"Pedal
cyclists have a right to use bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to
all traffic, but on bridleways they must give way to walkers and riders. Like
horse riders, they have no right to use footpaths and if they do so they are
committing a trespass against the owner of the land, unless use is by
permission (<A
href="http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw/footpathlaw2.htm#trespass">see
Q26</A>). As with horse-riding (<A
href="http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/britain/footpathlaw/footpathlaw.htm#horses">see
Q10</A>), use of any right of way by cyclists can be controlled by traffic
regulation orders and byelaws imposed by local authorities. Infringement of
byelaws or orders is a criminal offence. Under the Highways Act 1835, it is an
offence to ride a bicycle on the pavement at the side of a road, and under the
Fixed Penalty Offences Order 1999 a person who rides on a pavement can be
fined on the spot by a police officer."<BR><BR>Jason<BR><A
href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/User:Jamicu">jamicu</A><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>