Two Tings

It's two years since British Waterways launched their safety campaign on their towpaths called Two Tings.

Just recently we've been doing lots of cycle training in Ashford which is a Sustrans Bike It location. To encourage more cycling quite a few miles of cycle paths have been created. Many of these paths are shared spaces with pedestrians. We recommend that our trainees follow the same sort of code as the Two Tings:

Ring with Two Tings 

• Use a bell, giving Two Tings when approaching pedestrians. Ringing with Two Tings is not an order to pedestrians to get out of your way. 
  
• Be aware that some pedestrians may have visual or hearing impairments and might not hear your Two Tings.

Pass people slowly. Give people space 

• Slow down when approaching pedestrians and only pass when it is safe to do so. Extra care should be taken when passing children, less able people and animals. 
  
• Be patient and courteous to pedestrians. Saying “thank you” to pedestrians who move to let you pass will make them more likely to move next time. 

Ride at a sensible speed 

• The path is never suitable for cycling fast as there are many other users.

Unfortunately, our work has a small sphere of influence. So we still get grumpy glares from pedestrians who don't appreciate that it's a shared space and we see cyclists who are not courteous. 

How do we sort this out? 

How do we create harmony in these shared spaces?

Well my suggestion is that we take the Two Tings campaign and expand it from the towpaths to the entire cycling network:

• Issue thousands of bells with Two Tings handlebar stickers. 
• Place Two Tings stickers on posts on paths. 
• Two Tings banners on school railings. 
• Two Tings six sheet posters on bus stops. 
• Adverts in buses. 
• Local media launches in every town and city with cycle paths
  

Get the message out there to both pedestrians and cyclists. Then we'll see less pavement rage and less of the us and them culture that divides us in these shared spaces.

Come on Paul and the Department for Transport, CTC, Sustrans and all those local authorities and Highways Agencies - Make It Happen!