Beijing to get first highway for bicycles

The Beijing authorities are to build a highway for bicycles linking Huilongguan, one of the capital's most populous residential zones in Changping district, with Shangdi, a rapidly developing high-tech industrial zone in neighbouring Haidian district, reports Beijing Daily.

A second stage of the bicycle highway will connect to Zhongguancun, also known as China's Silicon Valley, where nearly 20% of residents in Huilongguan work.

There is no direct road or subway connection between Huilongguan and Shangdi. [Photo: Beijing Daily]

Over 16% of residents in Huilongguan work in Shangdi. Even though the distance between the two places is just over 6 kilometers, 40% of commuters still choose to drive private cars to work, due to the poor provision of public transport, according to the Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design which first mooted the plan in 2016.

It can take drivers up to an hour and a half to make the journey during rush hours. Taking a bike will cut the commute down to just half an hour.

The new bike-highway will ensure a more pleasant biking experience, and reduce the time cyclists spend waiting at traffic lights, according to the plan.