Comments on: Hate Traffic? Yet Another Reason for Bike Infrastructure.

By: John Brooking

John Brooking — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:43:15 +0000

I have no idea what are the forces behind China’s current mode split and the change in that in recent decades. Sounds like Khal has a little more insight than I do. In any case, I’m wary of pronouncing the “proper solution” for another country knowing so little about it. We know that cycling in the United States differs in some very important ways from, say, the Netherlands, whose infrastructure some here are so anxious to copy. Who’s to say the Netherlands model is any more appropriate for China? I certainly don’t know, but I’m not sure this article showed much knowledge of Chinese bicycling issues beyond the gridlock either.

By: danc

danc — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:14:28 +0000

Salon’s Andrew Leonard has a thoughtful article, “The silver lining in the great China traffic jam”
http://salon.com/a/s8w4fAA==

“The gridlock is insane, but so is Chinese investment in high-speed rail, subways …”

Using bikes to more 50 tons of coal is realistic. Chinese need more trains and rapid urban transit.

By: danc

danc — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:14:31 +0000

Hmmm, yeah who loves a traffic jam! Interesting problem but picture show how prosperity brings problems.

Meghan wrote: “Hopefully, China’s efforts include bike infrastructure and increasing the bike-mode share,”

Chinese already have impressive modal bicycles share.
Beijing (2000) 27%
Shanghai (1999) 39.01
Guangzhou (1998) 21.47%
Nanjing (2002) 43.79%

These cities that are 2x, 3x, 4x the size of Denmark.

China backs bikes to kick car habit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jun/15/china.jonathanwatts1

By: MikeOnBike

MikeOnBike — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:55:27 +0000

I thought the V-shaped channel in the photo was the bikeway. It looks like the person dressed in orange is holding a bike.

But for a 60 mile (one-way) commute, I think I’d rather take a train.

Also, it looks from the photo like the Chinese drive much bigger SUVs than Americans do. I see a couple buses, but all the rest are really huge SUVs. The green tarps are an interesting styling touch that I haven’t seen in the US.

By: khal spencer

khal spencer — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:18:03 +0000

Wow. Reminds me of the Long Island Expressway, aka, “The World’s Longest Parking Lot”. I guess Beijing now has that honor.

Unfortunately, one cannot simply put billions of Chinese in cars, as the picture so demonstrates. There ain’t room and soon enough, there will not be oil.

But I would be careful of urging Chinese back on their bicycles. After all, Mao’s China was a picture of the working class on Flying Pigeons. Cars are seen as a repudiation of and liberation from drab worker life under classical Communism. I think they will have to figure out a middle ground. As will we over here.