# Beijing Goes Back to the Bicycle



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Beijing encourages cycling in bid to cut traffic*
24 January 2010










BEIJING (AP) - Authorities in Beijing unveiled a plan Sunday to make the Chinese capital more bicycle-friendly in the hopes of reducing the city's choking pollution and alleviating congestion.

For decades, China was known as the "bicycle kingdom" but that moniker has become outdated as more and more Chinese buy cars amid the country's economic boom. Last year, China overtook the United States as the world's biggest auto market, with total vehicle sales of about 13.6 million.

Beijing has 17 million people and four million cars, a figure that continues to grow and strain the city's already overloaded road system.

Meanwhile, 19.7 percent of Beijing residents ride bicycles, and authorities hoped to raise that to 23 percent by 2015, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The city will restore bicycle lanes that were cut to make room for cars and buses, and build more bicycle parking lots, particularly next to bus and subway stations, the report said, citing Liu Xiaoming, director of the Municipal Communications Commission.

In addition to the moves aimed at encouraging bicycling, the government will also implement new restrictions on car drivers, Xinhua cited Liu as saying, without giving specifics.

Currently, car owners in Beijing are banned from driving one day a week, with the day depending on the last number of the car's license plate.


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## NCT (Aug 14, 2009)

What Beijing needs is creating more capillary roads to cater for local traffic and non-motorised traffic. It's going to be difficult with the Hutongs everywhere, but you can't carry on with one massive 10-lane motorway but every 1000 metres.


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

Great news.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Bad news, but its their matter.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

Hopefully a trend for things to come.


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## ukiyo (Aug 5, 2008)

I don't know why China even thought of following the disastrous unsustainable suburban American model. For a population that huge, Tokyo's model would have been the best for China's soon to be massive cities.


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## niterider (Nov 3, 2009)

I wouldn't like to be the person telling the Chinese to emulate the Japanese!


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## Fizmo1337 (Mar 26, 2009)

They have no other choice. Imagine 1.3 billion cars in China?? They wouldn't be able to get out of their garage!! Roads would be full.


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

Yeah, for decades up thru the early 1990s, the bicycle was king on the road in China. 

It's delightfull to hear that bicycling could be on the verge of a comeback in China's urban centers, it can't happen soon enough!


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## Skyrazer (Sep 9, 2009)

Good on ya China!


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

I'll never cease to associate cycling to work (not for fun, neither for exercise or competition) as a corolary of deep poverty, IMO. Many people in Latin American countries have those associations too, but I don't know how much of a status symbol trading your bike for a car is. In emergent countries where changing a specific pattern of consumption, transportation, education, clothing etc. has a strong cultural association with progress and prosperity, such back-changes maybe hard to happen on short-term.


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## HK999 (Jul 17, 2009)

Suburbanist said:


> I'll never cease to associate cycling to work (not for fun, neither for exercise or competition) as a corolary of deep poverty, IMO. Many people in Latin American countries have those associations too, but I don't know how much of a status symbol trading your bike for a car is. In emergent countries where changing a specific pattern of consumption, transportation, education, clothing etc. has a strong cultural association with progress and prosperity, such back-changes maybe hard to happen on short-term.


when people go by bicycle or go to work on a bike it tells a lot but in a positive way. cars are the past (except the new electric / hydrogen cars), public transport, bicycles and going by foot are the future. just because noone drives a car anymore (f.e. HK, NYC, amsterdam and other cities) doesn't mean they are not modern. on the contrary.


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## ukiyo (Aug 5, 2008)

^^ Or Tokyo, I'd like to see "suburbanist" say Tokyo isn't modern because of all the bicyclers :lol: Tokyo makes the american suburbs look like the stone age.

Singapore is also very modern and very pedestrian friendly.


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## HK999 (Jul 17, 2009)

NihonKitty said:


> ^^ Or Tokyo, I'd like to see "suburbanist" say Tokyo isn't modern because of all the bicyclers :lol: Tokyo makes the american suburbs look like the stone age.
> 
> Singapore is also very modern and very pedestrian friendly.


of course, tokyo is _the _ example for megacities with regard to transit / traffic.


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## niterider (Nov 3, 2009)

chinarulez said:


> cars are the past (except the new electric / hydrogen cars), public transport, bicycles and going by foot are the future.


Cars are not the 'past' - granted, PT will improve and planning will focus more on enabling cities to become more walkable and accessible to other forms of transport.
Cars will always prove more desirable than public transport for a large portion of society, except for major dense cities for commuting to the centre, no matter how efficient/clean/etc public transport is.



chinarulez said:


> just because noone drives a car anymore (f.e. HK, NYC, amsterdam and other cities) doesn't mean they are not modern. on the contrary.


Maybe not HK, but in Amsterdam people also drive - it's all about balance. Yes, give people the option to use PT and they will when it suits them. But to assume that 'nobody drives' anymore is silly. 
In London - with one of the largest PT systems in the world (albeit, granted, not the cheapest or most efficient), people still drive. They may use the train to get to work in the centre during the week when driving would be more expensive and slower because the city is just too populated/dense to suport mass car commuting to the centre. But outside of 9-5 monday-friday, people prefer cars if they have the option. In the evenings, or at weekends, people will and do drive into the centre. The car is far from dead. Most of the world does not live in HK or Tokyo etc.


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## LtBk (Jul 27, 2004)

Mass transit is good for getting around the city too if done correctly.


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## ukiyo (Aug 5, 2008)

niterider said:


> The car is far from dead. Most of the world does not live in HK or Tokyo etc.


I agree with you, it is far from "dead" in tokyo as well. But the main point is having options. The problem with the american model (which china was following for several years) is they plan the cities to revolve entirely around the car without other options..


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## NCT (Aug 14, 2009)

bayviews said:


> Yeah, for decades up thru the early 1990s, the bicycle was king on the road in China.
> 
> It's delightfull to hear that bicycling could be on the verge of a comeback in China's urban centers, it can't happen soon enough!


Bicycles haven't exactly retreated en-mass from China's streets. There has been a small shift away from bikes perhaps, with certain roads having become bicycle-unfriendly, but most of the time streets are still 'infested' with bikes. 



Suburbanist said:


> I'll never cease to associate cycling to work (not for fun, neither for exercise or competition) as a corolary of deep poverty, IMO. Many people in Latin American countries have those associations too, but I don't know how much of a status symbol trading your bike for a car is. In emergent countries where changing a specific pattern of consumption, transportation, education, clothing etc. has a strong cultural association with progress and prosperity, such back-changes maybe hard to happen on short-term.


And I will never cease to associate you with desparately needing to grow up, Saburbanist.


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## Scion (Apr 26, 2008)




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## HK999 (Jul 17, 2009)

niterider said:


> Cars are not the 'past' - granted, PT will improve and planning will focus more on enabling cities to become more walkable and accessible to other forms of transport.
> Cars will always prove more desirable than public transport for a large portion of society, except for major dense cities for commuting to the centre, no matter how efficient/clean/etc public transport is.
> 
> 
> ...


i'm not saying that the world should abandon cars, my post was just related to cities. it is very feasible to live in a city without a car, there are many examples proving this thesis. and now back to topic: i'm really glad that our government is making the right moves concerning pollution control in the whole country, beijing is one of them.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China to subsidise hybrid, electric car purchases *

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 1 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday that it would launch a pilot programme in five cities to provide subsidies to buyers of electric and hybrid cars, as the government steps up efforts to cut emissions in the world's biggest auto market.

Residents of Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Hangzhou and Hefei in the east of the country and Changchun in the northeast, would receive up to 50,000 yuan ($7,320) in subsidies if they buy plug-in hybrid cars, the Ministry of Finance said on its website.

The maximum subsidy for those who bought fully electric cars was 60,000 yuan, the ministry said.

"The handouts could get people interested in green car models now that the government has come up with a concrete plan and real money to back it up," said Harry Zhao, an analyst with industry consultancy CSM Worldwide. "But it's unrealistic to expect it to work like magic; like tax incentives did last year."

Beijing's tax incentives for small cars and subsidies for vehicle buyers in rural areas helped domestic vehicle sales surge 46 percent last year to 13.6 million units, surpassing the United States as the world's top auto market.

The impact of the new subsidies on green car sales was unlikely to be very large in the short term because of high battery costs and an inadequate charging network, but would make it easier for those interested in cars fuelled by alternative energy to decide to buy such vehicles, analysts said.

HYBRID BANDWAGON

Taking cues from the government, the biggest players in the Chinese auto market, from top state auto group SAIC Motor Corp to rising star Geely Automotive Holding, have been ramping up efforts to bring low-emission vehicles onto the roads.

SAIC plans to roll out its first hybrid car this year, while Shenzhen-based car and battery maker BYD Co, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, started retail sales of its plug-in hybrid F3DM in March.

The government would also allocate unspecified funding to bankroll the construction of charging stations and battery recovery networks in the pilot cities, the finance ministry added.

Instead of handing out subsidies to consumers directly, the government would allocate the money to carmakers, who would then lower the prices of relevant models accordingly, it said, without indicating when the programme would begin.

The level of handouts would be reduced after carmakers sold a total 50,000 green cars, it said, without elaborating.

The government started to offer subsidies for purchases of cleaner buses in early 2009, as part of another pilot programme in 13 cities.

In addition to the new programme limited to the five specified cities, Beijing would also offer nationwide subsidies of 3,000 yuan on purchases of cars with 1.6-litre engines or smaller and that consume 20 percent less fuel than current standards, it added. (Reporting by Zhou Xin in Beijing and Fang Yan and Jason Subler in Shanghai; Editing by Chris Lewis)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China to subsidise hybrid, electric car purchases *

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 1 (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday that it would launch a pilot programme in five cities to provide subsidies to buyers of electric and hybrid cars, as the government steps up efforts to cut emissions in the world's biggest auto market.

Residents of Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Hangzhou and Hefei in the east of the country and Changchun in the northeast, would receive up to 50,000 yuan ($7,320) in subsidies if they buy plug-in hybrid cars, the Ministry of Finance said on its website.

The maximum subsidy for those who bought fully electric cars was 60,000 yuan, the ministry said.

"The handouts could get people interested in green car models now that the government has come up with a concrete plan and real money to back it up," said Harry Zhao, an analyst with industry consultancy CSM Worldwide. "But it's unrealistic to expect it to work like magic; like tax incentives did last year."

Beijing's tax incentives for small cars and subsidies for vehicle buyers in rural areas helped domestic vehicle sales surge 46 percent last year to 13.6 million units, surpassing the United States as the world's top auto market.

The impact of the new subsidies on green car sales was unlikely to be very large in the short term because of high battery costs and an inadequate charging network, but would make it easier for those interested in cars fuelled by alternative energy to decide to buy such vehicles, analysts said.

HYBRID BANDWAGON

Taking cues from the government, the biggest players in the Chinese auto market, from top state auto group SAIC Motor Corp to rising star Geely Automotive Holding, have been ramping up efforts to bring low-emission vehicles onto the roads.

SAIC plans to roll out its first hybrid car this year, while Shenzhen-based car and battery maker BYD Co, backed by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, started retail sales of its plug-in hybrid F3DM in March.

The government would also allocate unspecified funding to bankroll the construction of charging stations and battery recovery networks in the pilot cities, the finance ministry added.

Instead of handing out subsidies to consumers directly, the government would allocate the money to carmakers, who would then lower the prices of relevant models accordingly, it said, without indicating when the programme would begin.

The level of handouts would be reduced after carmakers sold a total 50,000 green cars, it said, without elaborating.

The government started to offer subsidies for purchases of cleaner buses in early 2009, as part of another pilot programme in 13 cities.

In addition to the new programme limited to the five specified cities, Beijing would also offer nationwide subsidies of 3,000 yuan on purchases of cars with 1.6-litre engines or smaller and that consume 20 percent less fuel than current standards, it added.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Influx of migrants pushes population in Beijing past 19.6 million, reflecting urban trend *
5 May 2011

BEIJING (AP) - Six million newcomers, mostly migrant workers from elsewhere in China, have moved to Beijing in the past decade and pushed its population to nearly 20 million people.

The statement posted online Thursday with city government statistics showed 19.612 million permanent residents. The census conducted last year showed Beijing's population up 44.5 percent from the 2000 census.

The change reflects a trend of China becoming more urban. National census results released earlier showed 49.7 percent of China's population now lives in cities, up from about 36 percent 10 years ago.


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## luhai (Jun 27, 2010)

Having just gone back to China, I would say bikes are okay, but electric bikes are just annoying. Though, I would love to see the protected bike from pre-90s get back to city centers... if only just to keep the bike and cars off pedestrian side walk.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Beijing car ownership exceeds 5 mln*

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of cars registered in the Chinese capital passed 5 million in February, 11 months later than previously predicted, said the city's traffic police Thursday.

Beijing's traffic police bureau attributed the slow-down to the car number plates issuance lottery that has been in place since last year.

There are 5.017 million cars registered in Beijing as of Feb. 15, with 173,000 new ones registered in 2011, according to the bureau.

In 2010, the average monthly increase in registered new cars was 66,000, so it was predicted that, without restrictions, the total number of cars would reach 5 million in March 2011, officials said.

As soaring vehicle ownership had caused traffic woes, the municipal government decided to limit the number of new cars on the roads by controlling the issuance of new license plates.

Since January 2011, getting a license plate has required participation in a monthly lottery process run by the municipal government. Last year's quota was set at 240,000, about a third of the number of cars registered in Beijing in 2010.

Given the annual quota, car ownership will hit 6 million in 2016, officials now expect.


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

hkskyline said:


> *Beijing car ownership exceeds 5 mln*
> 
> BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of cars registered in the Chinese capital passed 5 million in February, 11 months later than previously predicted, said the city's traffic police Thursday.
> 
> ...


Not necesarily a plus; But looks like by now without a doubt Beijing, which had no private autos just a few decades ago, has certainly overtaken NYC in auto ownership. Most in the Big Apple get around by bus or subway. Great though to hear the more uplifting news: Beijing's bicycle revival!


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

5 million cars is not good, it destroys a city's soul. Still hopefully most people will use the subway, the world's biggest within a few years.


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## Piltup Man (May 21, 2010)

This reminds me of these drawings by French illustrator Sempé:

http://www.lemodalogue.fr/2008/01/decryptage/une-certaine-idee-du-luxe/


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## khoojyh (Aug 14, 2005)

Good news, but must plan properly to avoid bicycle to crash with car on road or pedestrian on walkway. heard from news that Hangzhou is doing good in promoting bicycle.

6m cars in 2016..... will be a nightmare to Beijing,


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