Get Those A2 Cycling Signs Down!

Yesterday afternoon KOS Media announced that the Highways Agency were to replace 121 signs on the A2 from Brenley Corner (Junction 7 of the M2) to Dover, next week.
This was quite a surprise.
It's not been flagged up anywhere before and there's nothing on the agency's website.
Why is this important?
When the A2 was modernised, I think some 30 years ago, some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to direct cyclists on to it.
This is a primary dual carriageway.
Effectively a motorway without the advantage of a hard shoulder.
The last place any cyclist should be riding is a quasi motorway.
But the signs are there and many unwary cyclists are led into danger.
There have been deaths.
There have been serious injuries.
But the signs are still there.
The thing is, that since those signs were installed on the modernised A2, a comprehensive network of good alternative cycle routes has been developed with the help of Spokes East Kent Cycle Campaign and Sustrans.
In fact, one of the catalysts for the creation of Spokes was the death of a young cyclist on the A2 back in the early 90s. This led to the surveying and eventual development of Regional Route 16, which runs parallel to the modern A2.
Consequently, cycling on the A2 is completely unnecessary.

So, Highways Agency, lets get those cycling signs down next week.

Oh, and Highways Agency, it would be nice if you could at least acknowledge our emails...
You do work for us you know!

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!