Automobile backlash may spark bicycle renaissance in China

(Photo:China.com.cn)

Traditionally a "Kingdom of Bicycles," China is eyeing a bicycle comeback for urban commuters, making public bikes available for rent in cities to relieve traffic congestion and reduce carbon emissions. However, the fast increasing numbers of automobiles are edging cyclists from bicycle lanes, as the percentage of commuters on bikes continues to drop, despite the emergence of a niche market for road cycling.

Chen Zhixiong, 36, loves to cycle. As the owner of Chengdu Lohas Bicycle Club, he has taken one of his three high-end bikes to work, rain or shine, for the past six years.

Despite the convenience of cycling, Chen notes that there are still a number of obstacles to bike riding in densely populated urban areas, among them poor air quality, people and cars using bike lanes, and automobile emissions.

"Local authorities promised to set up a lot of bike paths, but all over you find bike paths occupied by parked cars or being phased out all of a sudden. It's dangerous to ride bicycles in the same lane as cars," Chen told the Global Times.

Chen's complaint is not uncommon. Since China overtook the United States as the world's largest auto market in 2009, the rapid growth of the auto industry has caused severe consequences - congestion and pollution.

To tackle these problems, China's central and local governments have put a great deal of effort into encouraging commuters to use bicycles instead of cars, giving bikes an opportunity for a comeback.

At a national level, China has put forth an ambitious plan to build at least 100 pedestrian and bike transportation pilot cities, and boost the number of people who ride and walk by 5 to 10 percent by 2015, according to a recent notice issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MHURD).

"A revival in bike riding is killing two birds with one stone. It can help alleviate traffic, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions while conserving energy. It's good for the country's development," Ma Zhongchao, director of the China Bicycle Association, told the Global Times.

For several years, Ma and his association have dedicated themselves to reviving bike riding in China. The association has held bike-riding events across the country that have attracted tens of thousands of cyclists. They have also given input to policymakers on how to curb the growing number of private cars and expand the number of cyclists on the road.

However, Ma admits that, despite China's ambition to get more people moving on two wheels, there are a number of obstacles standing in the way of a return to the golden age of the 1970-80s, when a majority of people commuted on bikes.

Practical obstacles

Riding bikes in China is not easy. The top worry is safety, as bicycle paths have been edged out or phased out, forcing cyclists to use faster and more dangerous auto lanes.

"In the long run, the design and planning for bicycle and pedestrian lanes in China are not ideal. Most bicycle paths are not wide enough, and are too few in number, too distant from each other, and are not harmonious with surroundings," Tang Kai, general planner of MHURD, told Beiing Daily.

Tang suggested that authorities make the width of pedestrian and bike lanes a top priority.

In crowded urban areas where space is at a premium, local authorities should adopt specific measures to cut down the number of parked cars, and reduce the space occupied by automobile lanes to save space for the bike lanes, Tang said.

In some cases, according to Tang, cities "cancel or condense bike and pedestrian lanes" to save space for automobiles.

Another issue is convenience: many destinations in sprawling cities are an hour's bike ride away.

"It's difficult to rely on bikes for a commuter when you live in the suburbs but work in downtown. The distance is too far," Tang said.

Rent-a-bike

Many provinces and cities have turned to bike sharing programs to boost the popularity of cycling. But these efforts have encountered a skeptical public.

In Beijing, for instance, roughly 19.7 percent of residents commute by bicycle, with the government hoping to raise that number to 23 percent by 2015, according to a Xinhua news agency report.

To achieve this goal, in 2011 the city began to set up public bike sharing stands in dense residential areas and near subway stops, to encourage people to use public transportation.

The city has vowed to build 1,000 bike sharing stations holding 50,000 bikes by 2015, with the vast majority of sharing stations within three kilometers of a major subway station.