Recently, the 12th meeting of the Shijiazhuang Urban and Rural Planning Commission reviewed and basically approved the "Shijiazhuang Urban Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic System Plan." The plan proposes ensuring the width of sidewalks and bike lanes, establishing a transfer system between bicycles and public transportation, and creating a slow traffic zone along Xinshengjie Street. By 2020, the proportion of walking and cycling in urban travel will not be less than 55%.
Walking and cycling are green modes of transport worth promoting, occupying an important place in the sustainable urban transportation system. The "Shijiazhuang Urban Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic System Plan" is designed to promote energy conservation and emissions reduction in urban transportation, accelerate the transformation of urban transportation development models, alleviate urban traffic congestion, and facilitate the rational allocation of urban transportation resources.
According to the plan, the city will construct a four-tiered slow traffic road system comprising main corridors, auxiliary corridors, connecting corridors, and green leisure paths, forming 12 horizontal and 16 vertical main corridors totaling 500 kilometers, 400 kilometers of auxiliary corridors, and 200 kilometers of green leisure paths.
To facilitate pedestrian and cyclist street crossings, the city will integrate the construction of rail transit and commercial facilities while also considering the crossing needs on both sides of expressways and major traffic arteries. The plan retains 23 existing footbridges and 6 underpasses, and will build 20 new footbridges and 31 new underpasses.
Based on the passenger volume at rail transit stations, public transport hubs, and bus terminals, the plan sets up 105 bike parking lots with 30,000 parking spaces, achieving seamless integration between bicycle transport and public transit. Public bike promotion will be intensified, with 200 public bike rental stations and 10,000 bikes deployed in the near term; long-term plans include 1,000 rental stations and 40,000 bikes.
Upgrading bus stops. For three-lane roads, bay-style bus stops will be set up according to road conditions; for single-lane roads, wider sidewalks near bus stops will be used to separate bike lanes from bus lanes and platforms, turning bus stops into “temporary bays,” with bike lanes moved outside the platform area to protect cyclists' right of way and reduce mutual interference.
To safeguard pedestrians' and cyclists’ right of way, excessive on-street parking will be reduced. Urban motor vehicle parking will mainly be addressed through project-based developments and public parking lots within construction sites. Motor vehicles are prohibited from parking on sidewalks, and parking on bike lanes will be minimized. Considering the grade, function, and traffic flow of planned slow traffic routes (bike lanes), measures such as banning parking on main corridors and implementing time-limited parking during morning and evening rush hours on auxiliary corridors will be taken to ensure smooth operation of the slow traffic network.
Going forward, Shijiazhuang will implement differentiated management of electric bicycles. Those traveling no faster than 20 km/h, weighing less than 40 kg, and using conventional bicycle frames will be classified as non-motorized vehicles; whereas lightweight motorized electric bikes traveling faster than 20 km/h and weighing 40 kg or more will be treated as motor vehicles, subject to the same regulations as motorcycles.
To optimize the biking environment, the city will install 20 kilometers of vehicle-bicycle separation facilities on 12 streets including Zhaozhou Road and Beixin Street in the near term; it will also renovate sidewalks along six streets including Huaibei Road and Donggang Road, totaling 26 kilometers, to create 3.5-meter-wide bike lanes.
Building green leisure paths. Along water systems, a 100-kilometer bike greenway leisure system will be formed, with bike lanes 3.5 meters wide and sidewalks 1–2 meters wide alongside the river. Utilizing the green belt of the Second Ring Road, a 40-kilometer green leisure path 3.5 meters wide will be built, linking parks along the route. A 60-kilometer leisure path will be set up along both sides of the Minxin River. Meanwhile, the section of Xinshengjie Street (from Xinhua Road to Yuhua Road) will be developed into a distinctive urban slow traffic area blending green leisure with an underground commercial street.