Recently, in response to “China-style cycling,” many readers called in to support efforts to curb chaotic cycling behavior, but even more complained about not knowing how to cycle in compliance with traffic rules. A reporter’s investigation yesterday found that factors such as inadequate facilities and unclear regulations have also exacerbated the chaos of “China-style cycling” to some extent.
Question 1
What should cyclists do when turning vehicles don’t yield while crossing the road?
At the intersection of Dawanglu and Jianguolu, a cyclist wanted to cross from west to east, and the light was green for east-west traffic. However, cars making right turns from Guomao heading south came one after another, driving close to pedestrians and bicycles. Just as the pedestrian green light began to flash, only four or five out of ten bicycles managed to get through. Citizen Mr. Wang told the reporter: “In this situation, cyclists have no choice but to push forward, because if they don’t, they just can’t get across.”
At many other intersections, reporters also observed that during peak hours in the morning and evening, the continuous flow of right-turning vehicles actually blocks cyclists from crossing the road normally.
Explanation: Experts suggest that setting up dedicated right-turn traffic signals could protect the right of way for pedestrians and cyclists, or placing signs at intersections explicitly requiring right-turning vehicles to yield to pedestrians and cyclists first.
The effectiveness of this suggestion has been proven at some intersections in the city. At the Ciqikou intersection, there is a dedicated signal for right turns from east to north. When the right-turn light is red, vehicles line up in order, allowing pedestrians and cyclists going from east to west to go first, and the red light duration is short, not significantly affecting vehicle traffic.
Question 2
Which traffic light should cyclists follow when they see two types?
Some intersections in the city have two types of traffic lights. One is the standard three-color red-yellow-green light that regulates motor vehicle movement; the other is a two-color red-green light paired with cartoon pedestrian figures to direct pedestrian traffic. Generally, the two-color lights respond slightly faster, with the red light turning on a few seconds earlier than the motor vehicle signal. This is mainly because pedestrians move slower than cars, so they need an earlier warning to stop and avoid the awkwardness of being in the middle of the road when the light changes.
However, which light should non-motorized travelers follow?
At the intersection outside Ping’anli subway station, when the pedestrian two-color light turned red, the three-color motor vehicle light was still green. At that moment, one cyclist wearing a military-green hat pedaled hard and crossed the road, while another in a light gray coat braked and stopped. The reporter observed that cyclists followed different lights. Among 12 randomly interviewed cyclists, eight believed that since cycling is significantly slower than driving and cyclists are the vulnerable group, they should follow the pedestrian two-color lights for stopping and going; two thought they should just follow the crowd and go by whichever light they preferred; the rest believed they should cycle according to the motor vehicle signals.
Explanation: A traffic police officer on duty responded that non-motorized vehicles are traveling on the road and should obey the motor vehicle traffic lights.
Question 3
Why does the light change halfway while the green is too short?
Under the Wanshou Bridge, the green light for east-west traffic came on, and motor vehicles on the auxiliary road of the West Third Ring Road voluntarily stopped. A delivery rider on a red electric bike started his vehicle, accelerated, and safely reached the east side of the road in 10 seconds.
However, an elderly man behind him wasn’t so lucky. Riding a somewhat old bicycle, he moved slowly and tried to avoid pedestrians. By the time he reached the middle of the road, the red light had already come on. Seeing that the line of cars to his right hadn’t moved, he quickly pedaled hard a few times.
From 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm, the reporter used a stopwatch to measure and found that the average green light duration for the crosswalk at this intersection was 14 seconds, while the road was about 40 meters wide. It takes cyclists 10 to 15 seconds to cross. If you arrive at the intersection a few seconds after the green light comes on, the light often turns red halfway through.
After the crosswalk red light lasts for 40 seconds, the green light for the north-south motor vehicle lanes comes on. Therefore, many cyclists and pedestrians halfway across use this time difference to safely cross the road. Mr. Tong, a resident nearby, complained to the reporter: “This green light is very short. Even if I’m riding an electric bike, I can’t react fast enough. It turns red while I’m still crossing. I just don’t understand how these lights are set!”
Explanation: As early as 2011, major roads within the Fifth Ring Road of the city had largely implemented “intelligent traffic signals” to manage traffic. Traffic lights at various intersections are networked, and they can automatically adjust the timing based on real-time traffic flow to optimize signal settings. But this approach is based on motor vehicle traffic volume. In Copenhagen, the “City of Bicycles,” the situation is quite different—all traffic light changes are timed according to the average speed of bicycles, so cyclists don’t experience excessive waiting times.
Lessons from Elsewhere
Berlin: Launches electric vehicle lane system
On the path toward becoming a livable, efficient, and sustainable city, Berlin has developed a comprehensive transportation management system. While building a denser public transport network and restricting car usage, the city also emphasizes increasing the proportion of green travel. Berlin hopes to allocate more road space to bicycles and pedestrians, and is constructing a system of cycling and electric vehicle lanes, as well as parking lots and public bicycle rental facilities, to facilitate biking and walking.
Haikou: Building a slow-paced leisure greenway network
Green slow-traffic corridors are being constructed along Binhai Avenue, Binhai West Road, and Binjiang Road, providing “dedicated lanes” for pedestrians and cyclists. At the same time, an integrated “public transit + slow traffic” travel model is being developed, establishing a citywide slow-paced leisure greenway network to create a complete urban green leisure system for recreation, daily life, and entertainment.