Beijing to build "public transport city"

The establishment of Beijing’s new transport system will relieve traffic congestion

Rong Jian, a professor at the Transportation Research Center of Beijing University of Technology, noted that one critical reason for the traffic congestions in Beijing lies in the urban public transport system. Some problems such as the incomplete transport network and the inconvenient transfers need to be improved.

The traffic congestion problem that has troubled Beijing for years will be eased once the new transport system is established

Four major projects

The minimum departure interval for subway trains will be 2 minutes at peak hours

Rail transit network project: by 2015, the total length of subway in service will reach 561 kilometers, with subway network within the Fifth Ring Road reaching a density of 0.51 kilometers per square kilometer. The minimum departure interval for subway trains running on trunk lines will be 3 to 4 minutes, and 2 minutes in peak hours, with the average volume of daily passenger flow surpassing 10 million.

The distance for residents to reach the nearest bus stops will be less than 500 meters

Ground public transport network project: the project will focus on the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The bus lanes will be over 450 kilometers in total length and be inter-connected to form a network. 90 percent of passengers in downtown areas will walk less than 500 meters to reach the nearest bus stops, and the waiting time at bus stops in major trunk lines will be shortened to 3 to 5 minutes during peak hours. The buses equipped with air conditioners will account for 70 percent of the total. The average volume of daily passenger flow through ground public transport will be over 15 million.

13 comprehensive passenger transport hubs will be established by 2015

“Zero-distance transfer” service project: 13 comprehensive passenger transport hubs will be established by 2015 and a total of 50 key stations will be established or renovated, realizing “zero-distance transfer” for the public transport.

More bicycle parking spaces will be established in areas with heavy passenger flow

Pedestrian and bicycle service project: special cycle lanes and sidewalk network for pedestrians will be constructed and more bicycle parking spaces will be established in areas with heavy passenger flow. Around 1,000 bicycle rental service stands will be set up, with the number of bicycles available for rent exceeding 50,000 units.

Translated by LOTO