Bicycles competing with cars for road space, inadequate cycling facilities, unclear traffic signals... A series of reports titled "Chinese-style Cycling" launched by our newspaper in early January exposed various chaotic phenomena in urban cycling. Yesterday, Zheng Shi, a member of the Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy chief architect of the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, suggested the introduction of a slow traffic system as a “remedy” to address the problem of disorderly cycling.
Regarding the development of green transportation infrastructure, Zheng Shi believes that while public transit and rail systems in Beijing have developed well, progress has been slower and fewer measures have been introduced in areas related to slow traffic systems, including cycling and walking.
He suggested improving physical infrastructure or refining details citywide to create conditions for a slow traffic system. For example, implementing physical barriers to dedicate bicycle lanes exclusively for cyclists, so riders no longer have to awkwardly share roads with motor vehicles; or shortening pedestrian guardrails on urban roads so cyclists don’t have to go far out of their way to cross streets or struggle to use overpasses or underpasses. With shorter waiting times, both cyclists and pedestrians wouldn’t need to gather in large groups to cross.
On many road sections across the city, traffic lights or other signs are not installed. Without established rules, cyclists and pedestrians often compete with cars when crossing the street—this is one of the objective reasons behind the prevalence of “Chinese-style Cycling.”
Zheng Shi explained that national road traffic laws clearly state that cars must yield and slow down at pedestrian crossings without traffic lights, but this regulation is often ignored by drivers, cyclists, and even pedestrians themselves.
If pedestrians and cyclists have priority at unmarked crossings, it would promote the development of a slow traffic system. Drivers, feeling restricted by too many traffic lights, may gradually opt to drive less. “What I saw in Tokyo is that although there are many traffic lights, traffic hasn’t worsened because most people use public transportation—that creates a virtuous cycle,” said Zheng Shi.