00637896

English

As the most populous country in the world, China has relied heavily on bicycles for passenger transportation. The economic reform policy adopted in the late 1970s has brought dramatic economic growth during the last decade. Subsequently, bicycle ownership in urban areas increased from one bicycle for every three persons in 1980 to one bicycle for every two persons in 1990. An overview of bicycle transportation in China is presented. The advantages and disadvantages of bicycle transportation and its usage in China are discussed. It was found that the average bicycle travel distance is less than 4 km (2.5 mi). Bicycling is the transportation mode of choice for up to 70% of the urban passenger trips in China. However, because of its slowness, serious traffic problems occur when bicycle traffic mixes with motorized vehicle traffic. The mixing of faster and slower traffic modes causes a lower capacity and results in higher accident rates. In the average Chinese city, about 30% of the traffic fatalities are bicyclists. Traffic separation, better intersection control, and improved bicycle management are recommended to improve bicycle transportation in China.

This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1396, Nonmotorized Transportation Research and Issues.

HRIS, UMTRIS

p. 1-4

1993

Transportation Research Record

0309054699

Tables (3)

Accident rates; Bicycle ownership; Bicycles; China; Fatalities; Highway capacity; Ownership; People's Republic of China; Recommendations; Traffic congestion; Traffic interference; Trip length; Urban areas

Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Research; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Oct 27 1993 12:00AM

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