Yichang leads the way in public transport
2023-10-05 19:10:27
By Tan Maolin, Yichang International Communication Studio
Yichang, the second largest city in Hubei province, was recently named as a national demonstration city for public transport development, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The honor is recognition of Yichang's efforts over the past decade to develop its public transport network – a mix of buses, taxis and bike sharing – in an intelligent and sustainable manner.
In January 2016, Yichang received the 2016 Sustainable Transport Award (STA) for promoting inclusive and active mobility, and expanding cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Yichang was the second Chinese city to win the award after Guangzhou.
The key to the system is traffic network design rather than obsessing over mode of transport.
Take Yichang’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, launched in 2018. Each BRT station serves as a small transfer hub, utilizing various combinations of branch lines, express lines, and connecting lines to weave a flexible network. Transfers are made on the same platform, making mobility safer and more convenient for the public, and more environmentally friendly.
The system includes dedicated bike lanes, bike sharing and continuous sidewalks. The advantages, compared to a subway or conventional buses, are higher passenger capacity and lower construction costs.
Yichang’s BRT, which covers 23.9 kilometers of a particularly busy road, now serves over 350,000 passengers daily. It has improved travel efficiency, reducing travel time by 40 percent and attracting 72 percent of the city's passenger traffic.
Yichang is pushing ahead with sustainable transport networks, with attention to cycling connectivity through the creation of bicycle infrastructure and greenways.
The most high-profile bicycle lane in the city – on Yunji Road – opened in 2021. It connects Yichang’s main shopping area at Guomao with Binjiang Park on the Yangtze River. It is more than simply dedicated bike lanes. Wider sidewalks, rejigged intersections, traffic calming measures, and landscaping all contribute to the overall traffic improvements.
Yichang’s efforts to re-envision its public transport environments are making the city more practical, accessible, and engaging for everyone.
Yichang, the second largest city in Hubei province, was recently named as a national demonstration city for public transport development, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The honor is recognition of Yichang's efforts over the past decade to develop its public transport network – a mix of buses, taxis and bike sharing – in an intelligent and sustainable manner.
In January 2016, Yichang received the 2016 Sustainable Transport Award (STA) for promoting inclusive and active mobility, and expanding cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Yichang was the second Chinese city to win the award after Guangzhou.
The key to the system is traffic network design rather than obsessing over mode of transport.
Take Yichang’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, launched in 2018. Each BRT station serves as a small transfer hub, utilizing various combinations of branch lines, express lines, and connecting lines to weave a flexible network. Transfers are made on the same platform, making mobility safer and more convenient for the public, and more environmentally friendly.
The system includes dedicated bike lanes, bike sharing and continuous sidewalks. The advantages, compared to a subway or conventional buses, are higher passenger capacity and lower construction costs.
Yichang’s BRT, which covers 23.9 kilometers of a particularly busy road, now serves over 350,000 passengers daily. It has improved travel efficiency, reducing travel time by 40 percent and attracting 72 percent of the city's passenger traffic.
Yichang is pushing ahead with sustainable transport networks, with attention to cycling connectivity through the creation of bicycle infrastructure and greenways.
The most high-profile bicycle lane in the city – on Yunji Road – opened in 2021. It connects Yichang’s main shopping area at Guomao with Binjiang Park on the Yangtze River. It is more than simply dedicated bike lanes. Wider sidewalks, rejigged intersections, traffic calming measures, and landscaping all contribute to the overall traffic improvements.
Yichang’s efforts to re-envision its public transport environments are making the city more practical, accessible, and engaging for everyone.
