Guangzhou plans to implement solutions to ensure the safety of cyclists through the installation of new infrastructure such as level crossings and widened cycle lanes. Photo: AFP
For a long time, bicycles were much used in China, until the emergence of megacities and their steady streams of cars. Today, however, as part of the green energy transition, people in China are rediscovering the joys of cycling and showing a certain enthusiasm for electric models. But for people to make the most of this form of transport, city centres need to be reinvented.
This is what the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) describes in a series of articles dedicated to this phenomenon. These showcase the many efforts made by China’s cities to promote this sustainable mode of transport.
In recent years, the development of everyday cycling has become a priority, which explains why major cities have embarked on vast projects to develop dedicated infrastructure, as well as awareness campaigns and the promotion of bike-sharing schemes. From Beijing to Shanghai, via Guangzhou, Tianjin and Yichang, most cities have now launched their own cycling plans, encouraged by the Chinese government’s policy of promoting cycling as a means of reducing CO2 emissions across the country.
Take Guangzhou, for example, which now has a population of over 15 million. The municipality has decided to implement solutions to ensure the safety of cyclists through the installation of new infrastructure such as level crossings and widened cycle lanes, but also more signage for cyclists and more parking spaces, especially near railway stations. In 2023 alone, more than 500km of bicycle paths were redeveloped in the city.
Another gigantic city, Tianjin, has already upgraded nearly 200 roads in its city centre to accommodate cyclists, with new car lanes, bike paths and sidewalks, as well as dedicated street furniture and signage, especially near subway stations.
Meanwhile, Yichang, a city with 1.5 million inhabitants, now has more than a third of its streets equipped with cycle paths. This pro-bike policy is coupled with a desire to develop parks and green public spaces everywhere. More than a hundred small parks have already been created, offering residents a healthier living space reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
Other cities, however, still have some way to go, such as Shenzhen, which has yet to incorporate many lanes specially reserved for bicycles. In Shenzhen, the main roads are still quite dangerous for any cyclists who dare to venture onto them. In fact, there’s still a long way to go before the whole of China once again becomes the land of the bicycle. – AFP
