Photo by CNSPHOTO

To reduce urban traffic congestion and drive down carbon emissions from transportation, Beijing opened its first bicycle highway in May 2019. The Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design (BICP), our local partner, spearheaded its design. The 6.5 km elevated dedicated-bicycle path connects a large residential area in northwest Beijing to a booming business hub in the Haidian district. It maintains a speed limit of 15 km/hour and cuts the average 45-minute rush hour commute in half. Since January 2020, NRDC has been collaborating with BICP through various knowledge-sharing seminars to design the second phase of the bicycle highway. Beijing plans to add another 13 km to the highway to increase ease and accessibility and motivate millions working in Haidian to adopt a greener and more convenient form of transportation. Simultaneously, the highway will reduce rush hour pressure on Line 13, one of Beijing’s most congested commute metro lines. On March 26, NRDC contributed expertise to a working group to draft plans for phase two. The working group reviewed infrastructure technicalities such as turns, slopes, and exit placement and frequency, as well as methods of civic engagement through logos and signs. Moving forward, NRDC will continue to work with BICP and other partners to host a series of workshops to increase stakeholder engagement. By learning from public and expert opinions as well as lessons from phase one, the new bicycle highway extension will serve as a sustainable and replicable example for other cities in China.