Public Bicycles
In 2011, Zhuzhou was the first to launch a public bicycle rental system. Currently, there are 20,000 bicycles available for use across the city.
Seven Cities Enter the “Bicycle Era”
Zhuzhou
Launched in May 2011, it currently has 1,018 stations and 20,000 public bicycles available in the urban area, with free use within three hours.
Liuyang
Launched in January 2012, it currently has 50 stations and 1,000 bicycles in the urban area, with free use within three hours. A second phase adding 1,000 bicycles is under preparation.
Changde
Trial operation began in October 2012, with 400 cards issued within half a day of launch.
Changsha
Put into operation in July this year at Meixi Lake, with an initial 200 bicycles and 7 rental points built around the lake.
Xiangtan
The first phase in Jiuhua Economic Development Zone includes 53 stations and 1,100 bicycles, expected to be operational in August. Plans are to build 260 stations and deploy about 5,000 bicycles within five years.
Yueyang
The system is expected to be completed in the central urban area within the year, with one service station every 300 to 500 meters on city streets, and each station planned to have no fewer than 20 bicycles.
Chenzhou
The first phase covers the eastern urban area to both banks of the Zishui River and surrounding regions, with 86 rental points and 1,000 bicycles expected to be completed within the year.
With the advancement of urbanization, the number of motor vehicles continues to grow, leading to increasingly severe traffic congestion and air pollution in cities. People are calling for a convenient, flexible, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
Since Zhuzhou pioneered the public bicycle rental system in 2011, cities such as Liuyang and Changde have followed suit. This green and convenient travel option has even made residents in other prefecture-level cities “green with envy.”
According to the provincial Two-Oriented Society Office, the development of walking and bicycle transportation systems will be incorporated into comprehensive urban planning. Starting this year, the entire province of Hunan will swiftly step into the “bicycle era.”
The Provincial Two-Oriented Society Office, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Provincial Finance Department recently jointly issued the “Notice on Strengthening the Construction of Urban Walking and Bicycle Transportation Systems,” along with forwarding the guidance from the national three ministries.
Before the end of this year, 29 cities and over 50% of counties in our province are required to complete the formulation and submission of specialized plans for walking and bicycle transportation systems. Other counties will complete this by the end of 2016. In two years, these systems are expected to account for 55%-70% of residents’ travel modes.
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Boost Bicycle Travel Rate Within Two Years
According to Hunan Province’s “Implementation Outline for Promoting New Urbanization (2012-2020),” green and low-carbon will serve as the guiding principle for urban transportation development. The construction of walking and bicycle transportation systems will be integrated into comprehensive urban planning. Particularly in small and medium-sized cities, walking and bicycling will be emphasized as primary modes of transport.
The “Guidance” clarifies that efforts will aim to ensure that by 2015, urban walking and bicycle transportation facilities in our province are basically complete, the travel environment is significantly improved, and a certain scale of walking and bicycle transportation systems is established in all 29 cities and over 50% of counties. The share of walking and bicycling in overall travel is expected to rise noticeably.
According to national development plans, by 2015, the share of walking and bicycling in Changsha (a city with a population between 2 million and 5 million) will reach over 55%. For cities with populations below 1 million, that share will exceed 70%.
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Adding bike lanes to urban roads
As the number of motor vehicles continues to rise, many cities have expanded existing non-motorized lanes into vehicle lanes. In the future, such "reforms" will become history.
The Guidelines stipulate that all newly built, renovated, or expanded major and secondary urban roads, as well as roads in new urban areas, must be equipped with pedestrian walkways and bike lanes. Existing roads in old urban areas will also see the addition of pedestrian walkways and bike lanes. Walkways will be improved on branch roads and alleys, and green spaces such as parks and gardens will have dedicated walkways and bike lanes. These measures aim to ensure that urban pedestrian and bike paths form a connected, smooth, and unobstructed microcirculation system.
It is strictly prohibited to widen motor vehicle lanes by encroaching on pedestrian or bike lanes, and parking motor vehicles on these lanes is forbidden.
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Bike parking stations to be mandatory in residential communities
Many residents are accustomed to cycling, but they often struggle with finding parking. Moving forward, accelerating the construction of bike parking facilities will become a key focus of green travel.
The Guidelines clarify the provision of bike parking facilities at the end points of trips such as residential communities, bus and metro stations, commercial centers, office areas, parks, and green spaces. Preferential or free bike parking services will be implemented.
New residential communities must include permanent bike parking lots. Older residential areas will establish public bike parking areas. Public buildings with a construction area of over 20,000 square meters, historic sites, parks, and squares will set up bike parking facilities according to specialized plans.
Metro stations and public transport hubs must have bike parking facilities, and bus stations with high passenger volumes will aim to provide such facilities where feasible.
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Promoting 2–3 city pilots annually
It is reported that the state of walking and biking transportation in various regions will not only be an important part of evaluating progress in new urbanization initiatives but will also become a prerequisite for applying for awards such as "National Garden City" and "China Habitat Environment Prize."
The provincial housing and urban-rural development department revealed that the draft implementation plan for public bike rental systems in counties and districts has been completed and is awaiting approval from departments such as the Development and Reform Commission. A group of demonstration sites will soon be announced. The plan will detail the selection criteria and implementation guidelines for pilot cities. Starting this year, prefecture-level cities will promote 2–3 cities, and county-level cities will advance 3–5 cities for focused development. It is expected that financial subsidies and district/county applications will drive this initiative.
Interaction
Calling all cycling enthusiasts in the city
Looking for cycling routes
As the whole city steps into the “bike era,” how can we better plan for it? What’s your take on the upcoming bike era? If you’re a cyclist and have discovered great cycling routes in Changsha, call us at 96258 to share them with everyone.
Planning Response
Changsha to build 1,300 kilometers of bike lanes
A city full of bikes? Sounds great. On July 8, a official from the Changsha Transportation Bureau stated that there has been no news yet about rolling out a public bike rental system across the city. However, a third-party agency has been commissioned to develop a transit connection plan between subways and bikes near metro stations.
The Changsha Urban and Rural Planning Bureau noted that while the 55% share of walking and biking trips in 2015 is somewhat ambitious, efforts will be made to move toward that goal.
“Giving bikes their right of way”
At 4 p.m. on the 8th, the non-motorized lanes along Xiangjiang Avenue had turned into parking lots, and several construction sites were occupying road space. Wearing a helmet, Zhang Yan weaved through traffic and finally managed to ride his bicycle onto the Orange Isle Bridge.
Two friends of Zhang Yan, who came from Hangzhou, were still waiting at the foot of Yuelu Mountain. The two had walked around the east entrance area at the mountain's base but couldn’t find anywhere to rent a bike. In their city, public bike rental spots are readily available near popular tourist attractions. Zhang Yan didn’t know how to explain why, even though six cities in the province had either launched or were preparing public bike rental systems, downtown Changsha hadn’t truly gotten started.
A research report from the Changsha Municipal Government Policy Research Office pointed out that road network development is a challenge. “Before promoting public bikes, existing roads must be planned and modified to fully protect the right of way for bicycles.”
Developing a Special Plan
“In urban areas, major and secondary roads are generally planned with non-motorized lanes that include bike lanes,” explained an official from the Changsha Urban and Rural Planning Bureau. “But these non-motorized lanes are often taken up by parked cars.”
“For roads in urban areas where conditions allow, bike lanes will be restored by eliminating roadside parking. For roads where conditions don’t permit, expansion or modification will be considered,” the official said. Traffic police are systematically removing roadside parking, and the planning bureau is updating its slow-traffic system plan. In the future, a comprehensive urban pedestrian and bicycle transportation system plan will be developed in conjunction with special plans for urban rail transit, public transport, and parking facilities.
Build 1,300 kilometers of greenways
“Fifty-five percent? That’s a bit high, but we’ll strive toward that goal,” said an official from the Changsha Urban and Rural Planning Bureau. While mandating the provision of bike lanes and appropriately increasing pedestrian crossings, the city will also attract residents to choose walking and cycling by setting up greenways.
The greenways, spanning 1,300 kilometers, will extend along the scenic belts of the “One River and Four Streams” (the Xiang River, Liuyang River, Laodao River, Jinjiang River, and Longwanggang) and major landscape roads. The first phase, covering 220 kilometers, will stretch east to Songya Lake, west to Meixi Lake, south to the Xiangjiang River Bridge on Xiangfu Road, and north to Jinggang Ancient Town and Tongguan Kiln, forming a circular corridor. “The greenways will primarily be for walking, but will also accommodate cycling, providing road conditions suitable for the future promotion of public bicycle rentals.”