Beijing's first 'bicycle expressway' due next year

Beijing is to build its first "bicycle expressway" connecting Tiantongyuan with Zhongguancun. Work on the project is due to get underway in 2018, reports the Beijing News.

Bicycle riders near the World Trade center in Beijing's Central Business District, October 11, 2017. [Photo: The Beijing News]

The exclusive cycle way will be 9 kilometers in length, and 5 to 7 meters wide, according to Gan Feng from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

"The main purpose of the 'bicycle expressway' is to meet the needs of commuters in Tiantongyuan, Huilongguan, and Shangdi areas, etc. who want to get to Zhongguancun by bicycle," said Gan.

According to one report, over 20% of those surveyed living in Huilongguan work at Zhongguancun, with 16% of those in Huilongguan working at Shangdi. The ten-kilometer passage from Huilongguan to Zhongguancun is currently cut by two motorways, making travel by bike difficult.

Beijing is planning to improve facilities for non-motor vehicles and pedestrians, with a target of 3,200 kilometers of cycle track by 2020. 600 kilometers of track will be covered by the end of this year. Some areas of the capital already have good facilities for cyclists.

"The road system for slower traffic within the third ring road of Beijing is relatively effective, especially in the CBD area, with lower incidents of motor vehicles trespassing into bicycle lanes or zebra crossings," said Gan Feng.