For cycling enthusiast Jia Feng, riding to work in Beijing is an advantage as it allows him to get in his daily exercise and frees him from the capital's notorious traffic jams. But cycling is not always a joyful experience. The occasional takeover by cars the number of which rose by almost 5 million over the past two decades to 6.57 million by the end of last year of cycling lanes left him with conflicted feelings about life in the saddle. Of late though, the Beijing resident has found that commuting is becoming increasingly enjoyable as local authorities endeavor to encourage environmentally friendly travel in the midst of a national campaign to promote green transition.
Green development has become a key concern of China's central authorities. To achieve a fundamental improvement in environmental quality by 2035, China will strive to push green production and lifestyles. Recently, residents near the capital's Second Ring Road were surprised to discover that cycling lanes appeared to have been widened. Though traces of the original white lines separating the lanes for cars and bicycles as well as the ones dividing lanes for traffic remained visible in places, new lines had been drawn to make the lanes for cars narrower and the one for bicycles wider. Beijing authorities also plan to build bike routes along 12 waterways, which will help connect cycling networks between the Second and Fourth Ring roads and create a green transportation network. The creation of this green, non-motorized network is high on the municipal government's agenda.
Jia said he looks forward to seeing an increasingly green Beijing as local authorities make sustained efforts to promote environmentally friendly travel. "As more people turn to bikes, fewer will drive and traffic will move even faster, so both drivers and riders will be more comfortable. This will make the city greener and reduce its carbon footprint," he said.
(Adapted from https://global.chinadaily.com.cn)