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Pavements and cycle paths

It is important to regularly inspect and maintain pavements and cycle paths to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and to increase accessibility.

Who looks after Kent's pavements and cycle paths?

Kent County Council looks after pavements and cycle paths on all public roads in the county, except for roads controlled by the Highways Agency and roads in Medway.

How do we look after pavements?

To prioritise work, we split pavements into 'heavy-use' and 'light use'.

Heavy-use pavements are those that attract large numbers of pedestrians and therefore have the most need for maintenance.

Examples of heavy-use pavements are:

  • shopping streets and parades
  • prime seafront areas
  • routes to schools where walking buses operate
  • pedestrian routes to hospitals and residential homes for the elderly

Repairs are targeted to 'heavy-use' pavements to maximise the benefits of maintenance to the majority of people.

Safety inspectors consider the needs of all users. When repairs are organised, the needs of people with mobility difficulties are taken into account.

Maintaining cycle routes

Cycle routes are usually accompanied by direction signs or marked on a map or leaflet, but are not necessarily marked on the ground. Routes can be made up of many types of cycle facility.

We inspect the condition of all pavements and adopted cycle routes at regular intervals to ensure they are safe to use.

Copyright Kent County Council 2008