Shared use

A term used to describe a footway that legally allows cycling.

The creation of new shared use footways, is permitted by Section 65 of the Highways Act 1980.

65 Cycle tracks. (1) Without prejudice to section 24 above, a highway authority may, in or by the side of a highway maintainable at the public expense by them which consists of or comprises a made-up carriageway, construct a cycle track as part of the highway; and they may light any cycle track constructed by them under this section. (2) A highway authority may alter or remove a cycle track constructed by them under this section.

Typically this will result in very low-standard cycling infrastructure; existing footways were never designed to accommodate cycling in the first place, and new shared use footways are still pedestrian-specific infrastructure, with features that are substandard for cycling. 

In areas where pedestrian footfall is high, people walking and cycling must be designed for separately; namely, cycleways running parallel to footways.

In areas where pedestrian footfall is low (below 200 people per metre of width, per hour) cycling and walking can be accommodated on the same infrastructure, but this should be cycling infrastructure (effectively, roads for cycling) alongside roads, on which people can walk - not footways designed for pedestrians.

Research shows that areas which focus on mixing cycling with walking on shared use footways - rather than providing cycle-specific space - could actually suppress cycling levels. 

a reliance on shared-use footways as a design practice could reduce the propensity for people to cycle.