Cycle Routes Act
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 5 Planning obligation and accessibility of plans
1 The cantons shall ensure that: a. existing and planned cycle route networks for everyday use and leisure are indicated on plans; b. the plans are regularly reviewed and altered if necessary. 2 The plans are binding on the authorities. The cantons shall stipulate the other legal effects of the plans and regulate the procedure for producing and amending them. If the cantons delegate the planning of communal path networks to their communes, they shall ensure that the tasks under paragraph 1 are carried out. 3 The persons concerned and interested organisations shall be involved in the planning process. 4 The plans are public. They must be made accessible in electronic form.
Art. 6 Principles governing planning
The authorities responsible for the planning the cycle route networks shall ensure in principle that: a. cycle routes are connected and continuous and in particular that they allow access to the places mentioned in Article 3 paragraph 3 and Article 4 paragraph 3; b. the networks have an appropriate density and the cycle routes follow a direct route; c. the cycle routes are safe and cyclists, wherever possible and reasonable, are kept separate from motorised vehicles and from pedestrians; d. the cycle routes are constructed to a uniform standard; e. the networks are attractive and the cycle route networks for leisure provide cyclists with high quality of recreational satisfaction.
Art. 7 Coordination
1 The authorities responsible for cycle routes shall coordinate their cycle route networks with each other. 2 They shall coordinate their planning with the activities of other authorities relevant to spatial planning.
Art. 8 Construction and maintenance
The authorities responsible for cycle routes shall ensure that: a. cycle routes are constructed, maintained and signposted; b. the cycle routes can be used freely and safely by cyclists; c. the public have a legal right to use the cycle routes.
Art. 9 Replacement
1 Where cycle routes or parts thereof that are indicated in the plans are removed, the responsible authorities shall ensure that they are suitably replaced by existing or newly created paths; in doing so they shall take account of public interests and the local conditions. 2 Cycle routes must in particular be replaced if: a. they can no longer be freely used for cycling; b. they become disconnected; c. they can no longer be safely used for cycling, in particular if a long stretch of the route is heavily used by motor vehicles or used by fast moving motor vehicles; d. they are cycle route networks for leisure, but their attractiveness has been heavily compromised. 3 The cantons may provide for exceptions to the replacement obligation. 4 They shall regulate the procedure for removing cycle routes and decide who is required to replace cycle routes.
Art. 10 Cooperation with private specialist organisations
1 The cantons may use the services of private specialist organisations for the planning, construction and maintenance of cycle route networks and for providing information about these networks. 2 They may delegate tasks in these areas to the private specialist organisations.
Art. 11 Consideration for cycle routes and other concerns
1 The cantonal and communal authorities shall give consideration to cycle routes when carrying out their tasks. 2 The authorities responsible for cycle routes shall give consideration to concerns related to transport and settlement planning, agriculture and forestry, nature and cultural heritage and other activities relevant to spatial planning.
Art. 12 Provision of geodata
1 The cantons shall provide the Confederation with up-to-date geodata on their cycle route networks. 2 The specialist federal body for cycle routes may issue regulations on the quality and technical requirements for these geodata.