Existing problems and paths toward improvement
Existing Problems
Despite these initiatives there remain a number of problems, the most serious of which are: (1)
The public transportation's overall level of service, reliability, and the availability of traffic information is still low, and many urban residents are still not satisfied with walking and cycling and do not prefer these as a primary means of transportation. (2)
The rapid expansion of private motor vehicles still has a huge potential for further growth, and in some cities it is still quite difficult to enforce regulations or control measures against the use of cars. (3)
A certain level of unawareness still exists in selecting public transportation systems; many cities disregard their financial condition, focus on high-quality rail transportation, but ignore the improvement of conventional buses as well as the building of mid- and low-cost means of public transportation, such as tramcars. (4)
Transfers between outbound and suburban-urban transportation, basic downtown public transportation, and conventional means of public transportation are still not convenient and comprehensive. (5)
The environment for walking and cycling is not good enough; in particular, the number of bicycles is continually decreasing. (6)
Traffic safety facilities are not sophisticated enough, and accident rates remain high.
Paths Toward Improvement
These problems require continuing action and intensified policies. Several paths toward improvement are suggested.
Promoting the Combination of Public Transportation and Land Use
It is necessary to adhere to the use of a high-density and minimal-footprint model for development in order to conserve land, to actively build a sustainable, flexible model that fits with land utilization patterns, and to advocate an urban development model oriented toward public transportation. On the macro level, urban expansion areas should be designed around reliance on public transportation rather than on highway transportation. At the mid-level, it is necessary to plan spatial layouts to ensure they fit the appropriate public transportation. At the micro level, regular human activities should be guided toward and primarily focused around the “nuclei” of public transportation.
In relocating and updating older communities, the land-use percentages for individual residential communities, commercial districts, etc., should be optimized to ensure close proximity between the home and workplace, thus reducing the frequency of cross-district and long-distance commuting for work and school, decreasing both travel distances and the overall total volume of passenger transportation. Development in areas immediately surrounding public transportation hubs should be strengthened and expanded, and the ground area ratio and density of buildings should be increased along public transportation corridors and around public transportation hubs so as to form a “string of pearls” layout, with shops, offices, residential areas, and transportation hubs close together and well connected.
Building an Urban Transportation System Centered on Public Transportation from the Planning Phase
The traditional way of evaluating road construction projects based on the passing traffic flow should be changed from “automobile-centric” to “people-centric.” The evaluation parameters should be changed from focusing on the traffic flow into focusing on passenger flow. Transit planning should be transformed from primarily highway transportation into a combination of public transportation and highways, and the highway network system should be closely combined with land-use planning so as to build urban vitality and economic prosperity. Support in all related areas such as policy making, capital investment, and taxation should be focused on giving priority to developing public transportation. A passenger transport structure based on rail transportation and BRT systems should be gradually established in all major cities. At the same time, urban public transportation facilities should be combined and integrated with regional transportation facilities such as railroads and airports. Transport centers designed to ease the switch from walking to taking public transportation should be built to provide conveniently integrated links between different means of transportation, thus helping citizens realize the overall benefit and appeal of using public transportation facilities.
Further Enhancing the Role of Walking And Cycling in an Integrated Transportation System
For some central business areas with particularly congested traffic, alternative means such as walking and cycling should be encouraged for the sake of improving the overall urban environment. In such areas, special walking or cycling areas could be established, and convenient walking corridors developed. Fenced communities should be opened up, and special cycling and walking pavements should be expanded and extended. The public bicycle model should be encouraged nationwide, and more bicycle parking stations should be established along rail transport lines to better enable cyclists to combine cycling with their use of the public transportation system. Safety facilities for pedestrians and bicycles at intersections should be further improved.
Compelling Construction of Urban Transportation Integrated Information Platforms by Utilizing Intelligent Transport Systems
Several measures, such as industrial policies and financial support, should be employed to integrate transportation resources, establish comprehensive information service networks, improve the operational efficiency of transportation, and gradually build a sophisticated transport information system. This system, for use by the general public, will offer a wide array of functions such as traffic information inquiries, traffic or travel information, and more.
It is also necessary to promote digitalized urban road lane management technology, reinforce inspection and control of dedicated bus lanes and other special road lanes, promote regional scheduling and dispatching for urban transportation districts, enhance the reliability of public transportation, and develop advanced technologies to ensure punctual operation of transit systems. Multipurpose electronic passenger tickets should be widely applied, and integrated management of the various means of public transportation and taxi cars should be implemented.
Accelerating the Implementation of Travel Demand Management Measures
Experience shows that in order to establish a green and sustainable transportation system, it is necessary to adhere to the dual policy of prioritizing development of public transportation on the one hand, and implementing Travel Demand Management on the other. Traffic management techniques, such as imposing an additional fuel tax on cars, regulating and controlling parking lot prices, issuing pollution and emissions permits, charging a traffic congestion fee within central downtown areas, and other similar measures, are popular in many countries for reducing the use of cars. Therefore, China should also actively study the specific measures that are best suited to its unique situation in order to gradually reduce the number of cars used by Chinese citizens, and to make the allocation of public resources more reasonable and fair.
Promoting Public Participation in Green Sustainable Transportation
The promotion of the green sustainable transportation concept has a lot to do with both policy development by the government and the behaviors and preferences of the general public. For the general public, green transportation is a rational travel choice that closely affects one's quality of life and living space. In addition to meeting individuals’ basic travel needs and demands for comfortable transportation, it also contributes to improving the overall traffic environment and makes accessible transportation available to more people. The promotion of green transportation will help change the mindset of people in all walks of life in society. With enthusiasm from its citizens, China will see the nation, en masse, participate together in the implementation of green transportation.