About the FCMG
What is the Footway & Cycletrack Management Group?
The FCMG started life in 1993 as the Footway Maintenance Working Group of the County Surveyors Society Working Party on Highway Research (WPHR). Its remit was to steer practical research on footway construction and maintenance. This programme of research resulted in the publication in 1996 of the Footway Design & Maintenance Guide (TRL Application Guide 26) which was later incorporated into the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges as HD39/01 and HD40/01.
The FCMG Mission Statement
"To take a broad view of Footway and Cycletrack construction, maintenance and management standards for all footways and cycletracks within the United Kingdom with the aim of steering all relevant research for which it is allocated responsibility by the Roads Board (or others)." |
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The group continued to report to the WPHR until the establishment of the Roads Liaison Group in 2001 when it was incorporated as a technical group of the Roads Board. At this point the group broadened its scope to look at all issues related to the management of cycletracks as well as footways and changed its name to the Footway & Cycletrack Management Group. As well as steering research, the role of the FCMG is to ensure that the needs of footways and cycletracks are considered when formulating national policy and to encourage walking and cycling through the provision of safer and more attractive facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
The FCMG is chaired by Andrew Murray from Roads Service Northern Ireland and comprises members from local and regional government, DfT, Highways Agency and industry experts.
Highways Agency Sponsored Research Programme
The Highways Agency has long contributed to research into footway maintenance and, since 2001, has sponsored a programme of research into the management of footway & cycletrack maintenance on behalf of the Roads Board. This research is steered by the FCMG and has been carried out largely by TRL although the initial work on cycletrack maintenance was undertaken by Scott Wilson Pavement Engineering. Recent research work on footway maintenance was published in TRL Reports on Condition Indicators and Footway Maintenance Management. These documents give advice on:
• Route hierarchies
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Condition indicators
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Maintenance management
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Inspection regimes
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Defect investigatory levels
Research continues to identify and promote practical guidance on the management of footways and cycletracks within the context of national roads policy initiatives including asset management and valuation, UKPMS, best value and the introduction of TRACS-Type Surveys on local roads. The FCMG will ensure that any new guidance will be incorporated into the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and other standards as appropriate.
The FCMG is one of four technical groups reporting to the UK Roads Board as shown in the diagram below:
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