Beijing-traffic

BeijingtrafficImagineover3-millioncarsand18-millionpeopleusingthestreetsandroads,that’swhatBeijingwilllooklikein2008.Existingtransportfacilitiesarealreadyunabletodealwiththeincreasingtrafficpressure.Willthesituationeverimproveandtowhatextent?Whatplansarebeingmappedoutandwilltheybeputinplaceinthenearfuture?Inrecentyears,trafficjamsonmajorBeijingroadshavebeengettingmoreandmorefrequent.TheveryfirstthingIdowhenIgetupeverymorningistrytofigureouthowtogettoworkwithoutgettingstuckintraffic.Ibelievemyexperienceisnotanisolatedone.Theroadnetworkinthecityisbeingexpanded,butisstillunabletomeettheever-increasingdemandfortrafficfacilities.ManypeopleworryifBeijingiscapableofdealingwithitscurrenttrafficdemands,andespeciallywhetheritcanmeetthetrafficneedsofthe2008OlympicGames.Let’stakealook.Acoupleofyearsago,thejourneyfromXizhimeninnorthwestBeijingtoDongzhimenintheeasttookaround20minutesbypublictransportusingthenorthernsectionofthe2ndringroad.Now,however,coveringthesamedistancetakesdoublethetime,andifyougetcaughtintrafficjamslikethisitcanbeasmuchastwohours.ADriversaid,“Therearetoomanycarsandinexperienceddrivers.Somesectionsoftheroadsarenotdesignedproperly.Therearenotenoughexitsonthe3rdRingRoad.TodayIdrovefromthemilitarymuseumtotheairport.Iwentviathesouth3rdringroad,trafficwasbankedupthere.Ichosethe4thringroad,thesame.Ihadtogobythe5thringroad!”“Drivingisanerve-rackingexperienceforme.Toomanycarsontheroads!It’smyfirsttimetodaydrivingonthe3rdRingRoad.Ioftendriveoutsidethe3rdRingRoad.NowI’msweatingalot.Eventheair-conditioningdoesn’thelp.FromtheLizeOverpasstotheLiuliOverpass,I’dtogoupanddowntheslopes.Iamverynervousandstressed,”saidbyanewdriver.Anothersaid,“WhenIboughtmyfirstcarin1997,itwasn’tascrowdedontheroadsasitisnow.Thereweretrafficjamsinonlyafewplaces.Now,the2nd,andthewest3rdRingRoadarebankedupalldaylong.”OtherscomplainthatatrushhourBeijingroadsareonebigparkinglot,andthatridingabikeorevenwalkingisoftenfasterthandriving.Indeed,carscannotmoveoncetheygetstuckontheroad,butbikesstillcan.Bicyclistsandpedestriansweavingtheirwaybetweenbusesandcarsinalldirectionsareroutine.Yet,that’snottheworst.ThecomingwinterremindsusofthedisastrousDecember7thtwoyearsagowhenasuddensnowfallparalyzedBeijing’sentiretransportsystem.Thecityisvulnerabletoemergenciessuchasthis.TrafficpressureinBeijingisonebigheadacheforitsresidentsandcityplanners.Howdidtheproblemstart?Atapressconferencelastweek,DirectorQuanYongshenoftheBeijingMunicipalCommunicationsResearchCenteranalyzedthereasonsfortrafficpressures.QuanYongshen,DirectorofBeijingMunicipalCommunicationsResearchCenter,said,“Arapidincreaseinthenumberofautomobiles,especiallyprivatecars,isthemajorcontributortotrafficpressuresinBeijing.Judgingfromitsoveralleconomicgrowth,Beijinghasenteredaneraofrapidincreaseincarnumbers.AnotherreasonliesinthefactthatBeijingisoneoftheleadingcitiesinChinaandisexperiencingrapidurbanization.Thecombinationofthesefactorshasresultedinmajorchangesinsupplyanddemandfortransportfacilities.Beijinghasasevereshortageoflandresources.It’sanimportanthistoricalcitywithseveralthousandyearsofhistory.Ofthe62squarekilometersoflandinsidethe2ndRingRoad,protectedhistoricalsitestakeup40percent.It’simpossibletocarryoutlarge-scaleroadconstructionprojectshere.Thecity’strafficproblemsaretheresultofallthecompetingpressureswhenthecityreachesacertainstageofdevelopment.It’snotsimplyaproblemofthetrafficsystemitself,atleastnotentirely.Inotherwords,it’snotjustasimpleissueofmorecarsandlessroads.”Uptonow,thenumberofthecity’smotorvehicleshasincreasedto2-million,with9-millionbicycles.By2008,thenumberofcarsisexpectedtogetcloseto4-million,accordingtothedirector.Lastyear,Beijingrecordedover16-thousandtrafficjams.Incertainpartsofthecity,therushhourextendsto11hoursaday.Althoughbillionsofyuanannuallyhavebeenpouredintobuildingmoreroadsoverthepastfewyears,itisstillhardtobalancesupplyanddemandfortrafficfacilities.Thecity’spoortrafficmanagementandphysicallayoutmakeitimpossibletoeasetrafficsnarls.Bothcentralandlocalgovernmentoffices,aswellcommercialandculturallocations,areconcentratedinthedowntownareas,formingacentripetaltrafficstructurewiththebulkofvehicularandpassengerflowmovingtowardsthecentralarea.Therehavebeenloudcallsfromthepublicforamorerationallayoutofthetrafficnetwork,includingsubwaylines,flyovers,pedestrianoverpassesandunderpasses,andforanincreaseinthecapacityofpublictransportfacilitiessuchaspublicbusesandrailways.Theartofachievingabalancebetweenpreservinghistoricallysignificantsitesandmeetingthedemandforgrowthisoneoftheconundrumsfacingcityplannerstoday.Inearly1998,aftermanydebatesbyspecialists,thelocalgovernmentdecidedtoshiftitsfocusofconstructionfromurbandistrictstosuburbanareasandfromexpansionofthecitypropertotransformationofurbantrafficinfrastructure.Atlastweek'spressconference,Mr.Quanoutlinedthemunicipalgovernment'sfutureplansforrelievingtrafficproblems.Quansaid,“Theprovisionofpublictransportfacilitiesmustbeaccelerated.Measurestobeputinplaceoverthenextfewyearsincludeestablishingarailtransportnetworkthatwillplayakeyr