Might as well get comfortable

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about the state of Beijing traffic in the news. According to an oft-quoted study by IBM on traffic in twenty of the world's cities, Beijing and Mexico City tied for last place on their consumer pain index. That is, out of a 100 (a 100 being the worse), Beijing and Mexico City both came in at 99 for the most onerous traffic, based on a variety of factors including gas prices, length of commute and the effects of traffic on day to day decisions.

For those of you unfamiliar with the state of Beijing traffic, China Daily has put together a nice summary of the problems facing Beijing transportation and possible solutions here. (There are pictures too!)

This year, the Beijing city government enacted several ordinances in hopes of curbing Beijing traffic. The most discussed traffic measure aims to curb car sales, which have dramatically increased the last few years. Starting on January 1st of this year, all prospective car buyers must first apply online (or in-person) for a license plate, which are given out on a lottery-based system every month.

Other new traffic ordinances aimed at curbing Beijing's snarling traffic include raising parking rates at all garages, banning non-Beijing registered cars inside the Fifth Ring Road during rush hour and limiting who can drive based on even/odd license plate numbers.

To anyone who lives and Beijing, the news that Beijing traffic is one of the worst in the world hardly comes as a shock. There have been times where I'm pretty sure I've sat (or stood) on a bus for an half-hour(or more) and not moved more than a few yards. Walking is often times faster, if your destination is already within a relatively walkable distance. (Remember, Beijing is a very large, very spread out city.)

As for the Beijing subway, it's great...in theory. However, considering the sheer size of Beijing, the subway stops are relatively few and far between. Not to mention, that with only a few transfer points for each line, certain stations often resemble giant cattle herding centers with hordes of people trying to switch from one line to another, particularly during rush hours and Friday evening. It also takes a while to get from one place to another. For instance, it takes me roughly an hour (including walking time) by subway for me travel from Wangfujing to BNU, which as far as Beijing goes, is pretty centrally located between the 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads.

Picture courtesy of ChinaDaily.com.cn

Now of course, I know that in terms of subway public transportation, I've been a bit spoiled after living in New York City and Paris, both of which have very developed subway systems that have grown and adapted to it's residents needs over many decades. But that doesn't mean Beijing can sit back and wait for time to help solve it's traffic problems.



While I appreciate the Beijing city government's willingness to try to fix the traffic problems that ensnare and cripple Beijing on a daily basis, I'm sorry to say that it almost seems too little too late and that they're very far from actually successfully solving the problem.

First of all, most people already prefer driving/taking private cars rather than taking public transportation. This is a mindset that can't really be altered by the government, no matter what it does. However, if the government continues to improve and expand the public transportation system by expanding subway lines (which it is doing) and making the subways and buses more comfortable (e.g. the buses aren't currently heated), I think it'll go a long way to change people's mindsets concerning public transportation and driving.

Also, if they could increase the efficiency and timeliness of buses by enacting bus-only lanes (and enforcing the bus-only law), it would make a huge difference. Right now, the bus system is very thorough, but often very slow because a bus, unlike a private car or a taxi, can not weave around traffic as easily. As a result, buses often get stuck in (what seems like) endless traffic and passengers become increasingly irritated.

Lastly, and I think perhaps most importantly, Beijing needs to move away from a one business-center city planning model. As stated in an article I read (somewhere..I forgot where & haven't been able to successfully search for it since), right now most people living in the suburbs and outer part of Beijing are trying to get to the central business center of the city on a daily basis just to go to work. As a result, you have literally thousands of people pushing and shoving on the subways, buses and roads all to get one area everyday.

But if Beijing were to adopt a multi-center model and develop some of its suburban areas to also become business centers, it would reduce the density of people trying to go to & from the same exact small area everyday, whether it be via bus, subway or private car. In the long run, if Beijing would adopt this model, I think it would do a lot to decrease traffic and demand on the most crowded subway lines that currently serve the business district of Beijing.

However, until Beijing makes (even more) necessary logistical changes to regulate traffic and until people stop viewing driving and cars as the ultimate status symbols, nothing is going to really change. 

Meanwhile, I'll be on the bus. I might as well get comfortable, it's going to be a long ride.