Green Road Network Management – Trail Riders Fellowship

Managing the Green Road Network

The TRF recognises that motor vehicle use on Green Roads requires managing – as is the case for all highways. While the responsibility for this lies with the local and national parks authorities, the TRF actively engages and supports those local authorities that adopt an inclusive management and maintenance programme for Green Roads.

The TRF has its own Code of Conduct that embraces the Countryside Code and recognises the guidance given by others, such as those of the national parks, and applies these to help guide its members in the use of Green Roads. The TRF recognises and respects that Green Roads offer a legal entitlement for all to enjoy and are a shared space where people on foot, cycle, horseback or using motor vehicles must co-exist and respect each other’s rights.

The TRF is actively engaged in Green Road management and maintenance, contributing to local access forums, parish councils, local authorities and National Parks. The TRF also works with DEFRA, DfT, other user and access groups, such as the BHS, Cycling UK, the Open Spaces Society, Land Access and Recreation Association and the Green Lane Association in protecting public access and co-ordinating management projects.

The TRF accordingly recognises that for the benefit of all, it should play an active part in maintenance and repairs to Green Roads, and throughout its existence has encouraged and supported its own working parties in this respect. Again, given decades of experience, the TRF has developed specialised skills in Green Road repairs, from installing drains through to building bridges! The TRF will also often help fund works. Members typically offer their labour free of charge and will often fund raise to help meet the costs, while TRF’s Conservation Director has discretion to ‘match fund’ critical projects.

The TRF recognises and respects that Green Roads offer a legal entitlement for all to enjoy and are a shared space where people on foot, cycle, horseback or using motor vehicles must co-exist and respect each other’s rights.

Managing Motor Vehicle Use in the Countryside - A good practice guide

The Land Access and Recreation Association (LARA) is an umbrella organisation and forum that brings together the leading national associations in motor sport and recreation. LARA promotes and advocates responsible and sustainable motor sport and recreation.

Managing Motor Vehicle Use in the Countryside is a good practice guide to traffic management on unsealed public roads.

Green Road Map Project – Get involved

The TRF invites authorities to contribute to this landmark project

There is an estimated 350,000 miles of highway in England and Wales. Roughly 40% are paths or restricted byways and off-limits to public motor traffic. The other highways are nearly all roads made up with tarmac – black roads. Between the black roads and paths are around 6,000 miles of Green Roads that are available for the public to responsibly enjoy by reasonable means of travel, including motorcycling.

With Green Roads subject to such a broad range of naming conventions and designations, and being recorded in multiple places such as Local Authorities’ Definitive Map and Highway Authorities’ List of Streets, it was considered that one all-embracing public-facing online and real-time map of the Green Roads was in the public’s interest.

The Green Road Map (GRM) has been created by the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) to provide clarity and certainty as to the public’s right to use a motorcycle on the Green Road Network of England and Wales.

If you work for a National Park, Local or Police authority then send us an email using your authority email address for a GRM information pack.

Green Roads for All

Britain is blessed with some of the most incredible countryside in the world, a place that should be shared, enjoyed and respected by all no matter how they choose to explore it.

The Green Road Network provides unique public access to this rural landscape unlike any other, but sadly a minority seeks to misrepresent these public roads and the historic rural enjoyment of exploring them by motorcycle.

Green Roads for All takes a closer look at facts around the Green Road Network and the value of Trail Riding to the environment, public access, rural communities, local and national economies as well as the health and wellbeing of riders.