Back in 1997, the first bus lane is

Back in 1997, the first bus lane is employed in Beijing Chang’an Avenue, which opens the prelude of
PTP (Quan et al., 2006). Afterwards, to meet the traffic demands of Beijing Olympic and improve the
ever-worsening traffic, Beijing adopted too many kinds of active measures to ease congestion. The
operation is divides into two stages.
(1) Pre-Olympic (Before 2008)
In 2005, the Outline of Beijing Transportation Development (2004–2020), put forward the program
that construct modern advanced traffic facilities as the foundation, construct the new Beijing traffic
system leaded by public transport.
As the detailing of relevant content in Outline, Beijing put forward “two determinations and four
priorities” clearly in the “Opinions on priority development of the public transport”. The “two
determinations” means that the government made a explicitly determination on the public transport’s
strategic position in city’s sustainable development, and make sure the social public welfare position of
the public transport. “Four priorities”, that is, the public transport will get priorities on land use,
investment, right-of-way allocation and finance and tax support.
About the land use priority in facilities, the Opinion puts forward the planning that construct public
transportation level 3 transfer stations before 2010, including comprehensive hub station adapted to
different passenger flow distribution amount, interchange center station, transfer, and the car and bus
interchange stations, bus comprehensive transfer facilities in more than 110.
On the investment priority arrangement, increasing public investment in transportation, the “11th five-
year plan” period public transport investment accounts for 45% of transportation foundation investment to
71.5 billion yuan, increased by 18% than fifteen periods, an increase of 47.7 billion yuan. According to
the characteristics of the mega city like Beijing, in public transportation in the investment, to increase the
investment to the rail traffic construction, to speed up the rail traffic construction, planning to 2015, will
construct 16 new rail lines, rail transportation network up to 20 line 568 km.
In the distribution right priority, bus lane from 10 km to 20 km each year speed increase in recent years.
At present, has amounted to 165 km. Planning to 2010, new bus lane 285 km, the bus lane network to 450
km. At the same time, speed up the construction of bus lanes in which the bus rapid system support the physical isolation. Has been opened south-middle axial number 1 large capacity rapid bus lines, will also
establish Anli Road, Chaoyang Road and Fusi Road three lines.
In the finance and tax support priority, according to social and public welfare positioning of public
transport, change the idea, and the loss of public transport will be subsidies, adjusting public expenditure
used to buy public passenger service, increasing public financial support. Completed the bus companies’
asset replacement, realize the city bus unified into public expenditure. To carry out low fare policy, from
January 1, 2007, unified the city bus fares ground, common card to enjoy four fold, students enjoy
discount 2, since October 7, 2007, the subway put practice the single type and low fare policy which takes
2 yuan for each person every time.
(2) Post-Olympic (after 2008)
After the Olympic Games, Beijing explored the development of urban transport in a new way from a
new starting point, proposed the ideas that constructing humanity transport, scientific-technology
transport and green transport. On July 2009, Beijing government enacted the “Action plan for Beijing
Humanity, Scientific-technology, and Green Transport”, promoting the construction of “transit city”.
The Plan points that we should deepen the policy measures that priority to the development of public
transport all-round, the purpose of the plan is to facilitate the public to travel and minimize the network
traffic load, promoting the green travel system construction, in which rail traffic is the backbone, the
ground bus is dominant and multiple transport modes such as walking and bicycle coordinated operates,
achieving the harmonious development between transport and urban. There are five projects inside the
public transport:
(i) The rail transit network services project. Establish the rail traffic’s backbone status in urban public
passenger transport systems, promote the construction of new rail lines, expand the proportion, increase
the line density in central city, exert its role of guiding and supporting urban spatial structure optimization
adjustment. The rail transport operation mileage is 300 km in 2010, 420 km in 2012 and 561 km in 2015,
forming the network of “three links, four horizontals, five verticals and eight radiations”, the line density
in less than the fifth ring road is 0.51 km/km 2 , one can reach a rail transit sites walking an average 1000 m
only, during peak hours, the minimum service interval of main lines is 2min.
(ii) The ground bus network service project. Give full play of the main role of ground bus, build fast-
line network for skeleton and general lines network for foundation, the extension network for
supplementary, covering the center of the city, the newly developing city and town public (electrical)-
automotive services network. Achieving the object that the total mileage of bus lanes is more than 450 km;
the distance that 90% of the central city passengers walk to the nearest bus station is less than 500 m, the
main lines’ waiting time in peak hours is 3 to 5min, the average load rate during peak hours is controlled
in 70%.
(iii) The convenient transfer of traveling service project. To ensure the convenience of passengers, the
transfer facilities of rail traffic, ground bus and multiple transport modes should be synchronously planed,
constructed and operated. Completed 13 integrated passenger hubs, optimize the bus station layout,
construct and retrofit more than 50 central transfer stations, construct car park for transfer together with
the construction of new rail transit lines.
(iv) Walking and bicycle traffic service project. Construct bicycle and pedestrian lines network,
strengthen the management of road rights. Build bike parking lots at passenger concentrated areas, set
about 1000 bicycle rental points relying on rail transit stations and bus hubs, forming the rental scale that
is of more than 50,000 bicycles, planning to construct some walking and bicycle demonstration blocks.
(v) Traffic travel accessibility service project. Promote the construction of the barrier-free
transportation facilities and the service system, general compete the central city barrier-free travel network.
Promote construction and modification of barrier-free of bus and rail transit stations, platform and vehicle.
Severe punishment should be given to the behaviors of encroaching or damaging barrier-free facilities.