Re-cycling in Beijing

According to Liu Changge, deputy head of the Road Administration of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, the government is allocating more space to bike lanes in the city, in a bid to reduce the congestion in the lanes. "We are trying to expand the roads to give more space to bikes," said Liu in a press release on September 4.

In fact, in 2010 the government announced that they were making efforts to encourage cycling. It hoped by the year 2015, 23 percent of Beijingers would take up cycling as their mode of transport.

Cycling was once the most popular form of transport in China and Beijing was known as the "capital of bicycles" in the world. Most people who visited Tiananmen Square in the 1980s, or saw footage from that time, were amazed by the flood of bicycles sweeping across the square.

But this picture started to change in the 1990s as more and more people could afford a car. In 1986, 60 percent of Beijingers choose to ride a bike as their main method of transport in Beijing. This figure has now dropped to less than 20 percent, as statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport show.

The government wants to promote cycling again, as bikes offer a good solution to the intensely crowded traffic situation in a city that contains more than five million cars.

A safety issue

At present, cyclists or potential cyclist are complaining. "I don't feel safe cycling in Beijing," said Yue Ping, a 26-year-old mobile retailer, who has been riding a bike around Beijing for five years now.

"Riding can be dangerous here. We don't have our own roads," he complained, adding, "Many cars drive on the side roads leaving us no space!"

Despite this, he said cycling is "a wonderful way" to experience Beijing life. "I don't get stuck in traffic and can ride in the small hutong at ease. This life is easy and more Beijing."

Software engineer Zhao Huan, 28, cycles 10 kilometers to work and has similar concerns to Yue. "There are individual bike lanes in Beijing now but most of them are occupied by parked cars," said Zhao. "I am therefore often forced to ride in the road with cars."

Zhao said she has been to Taipei, where cyclists have their own lanes which other vehicles cannot use, a situation that would be a good example for Beijing to follow.

Foreigners also worry about the dangers. Eric Fish, a 27-year-old editor from America, cycled from Beijing to Shandong Province twice, but no longer rides. "Cycling used to be a good thing for me, but the crowded traffic makes me nervous," Fish told Metro Beijing.　

Vying for space

Statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport shows that today more than 90 percent of roads have lanes for bikes in Beijing. But most side roads have been designed for automobiles only.

According to Liu, the administration is taking this into consideration and planning to create bike lanes even on smaller roads.

This plan is warmly welcomed by Shannon Bufton, 36 from Melbourne, who has been in China for five years and is the cofounder of Smarter Than Car, an organization which promotes cycling in Beijing. "This will definitely provide us with more space and make cycling easier in a Beijing challenged by heavy traffic," said Bufton.

Bufton owns two bikes, one for long distance travel and one for short. This has become his way of life and according to him, the infrastructure of Beijing is already very good for cycling. Even well-known bicycle cities like Amsterdam have fewer bike lanes than Beijing, he said. Nevertheless, traffic is a problem.

"The growing number of cars has become a major problem in terms of traffic and the environment," he said. "Cycling offers a good solution."

But some car owners argue this is not good news at all. For taxi driver Lin Hongshan, 37, expanding bike lanes will have a negative impact on driving in the city. "How can the authority make space on the already crowded Beijing roads?" he asked. "Does it mean that drivers' space will be sacrificed for cyclists?"

Liu is aware of these concerns and says they will be taken into consideration. "This may involve the adjustment of public lawns and houses by the road," said Liu. "But we will do our best to expand the bike lanes."

Wu Haiyan, a professor at the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, told Metro Beijing that cycling is worth encouraging, but it should be used wisely.

"Cycling is a good method for short distance travel. It is economical and environmentally-friendly," said Wu.

However, she cautions against long distance travel on a bike. Building bike lanes on main avenues will make traveling by car more traffic prone, according to Wu. It could also lead to more accidents as long distance travel by bike can be exhausting.

"Beijing should promote cycling, but the general efficiency of transport should come first," said Wu.