vehicles move slowly forward on a road in Beijing. (File photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) -- Beijing ranked No. 3 on the list of top-10 most congested cites in China, following Jinan and Harbin, according to a report by China Academy of Transportation Sciences.
Jinan in East China's Shandong Province took the first spot partly because of massive infrastructure construction such as building a subway and other projects designed to better use rainwater.
Harbin's heavy traffic during rush hour is more due to poor urban planning, according to the report.
The report also found traffic congestion in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai have stopped getting worse with local government efforts.
The four megalopolises also saw fewer traffic jams after November due to reasons ranging from less travel in winter and smoggy days to the return of migrant workers to their hometowns.
In comparison, second-tier cities reported worsening congestion, an increase of 3.7 percent on average, with Chongqing, Changchun, Jiaxing and Shenyang leading the rate of growth at over 7 percent.
Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and Shenzhen in Guangdong Province made the biggest progress in improving traffic with measures including vehicle restrictions and better road links, said the report.
It also stated that Lanzhou City, capital of Gansu Province, routinely became the most gridlocked city during national public holidays.
Interestingly, a survey found Beijing was thought to be the most congested city in China, among 31.8 percent of respondents, followed by Zhengzhou at 8.8 percent.
