Hi hillsideresident,

I can’t assert as confidently as yourself that the “…only thing the new scheme has over the old one is a catchy rhyme...” because the Two Tings campaign is hard to locate to compare.

But I think that the Share the Space, Drop your Pace campaign is worthy of a look for pedestrians and cyclists alike. And not just for towpath shared space.

I did find this interesting evaluation of the two campaigns from Dick Vincent, London Towpath Ranger, Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways as of this month).

Mr Vincent writes that the Two Tings campaign was a success. And that the Share the Space, Drop your Pace seems to have been created to specifically address the speed at which some cyclists travel.

Now I’ve been made aware of this, I can see that the previous campaign might have made some cyclists think that if they give a little tinkle on their bell, while travelling at, or near, the speed of sound, that they have fulfilled their obligations to their fellow towpath visitors. Therefore, I’d conclude that this new campaign ever so gently shifts that thinking.

Anyway, good luck to everyone and I’m inspired to get myself to a towpath soonish. As the article mentions…

London’s Towpaths: The Fastest Way to Slow Down.

Now then, where is the closest one?

(Ting, Ting!)