Beijing to build first bicycle expressway next year

People ride shared bikes on Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, on Sept 17, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Beijing is planning to construct its first cycle expressway next year in a bid to build a cycle-friendly city, said an official with the transport authorities.

The closed cycle expressway will link Tiantongyuan, a major residential complex in northern Beijing, and Zhongguancun, China's Silicon Valley, said Gan Feng, the deputy chief of the road maintenance center of the Beijing Commission of Transport, on Wednesday.

The road, five to seven meters wide, will stretch about nine kilometers. Part of it will be constructed on the ground, while the rest will be on the flyover, he said.

Supporting facilities, including lighting equipment, dustbin and vending machines selling tires, will be installed along the two-lane expressway.

The construction of the expressway, which is expected to start next year, is part of the city's efforts to deliver a friendlier environment for cyclists and pedestrians.

Beijing is expected to have 600 kilometers of pedestrian and cycle lanes by the end of this year.

To this end, the city has introduced measures such as transferring non-motor lanes to behind bus stops to avoid conflict between motors and non-motor vehicles and installing colored pavements for cycles.

In a longer term, the city plans to improve 3,200-km-long pedestrian and cycle lanes by 2020.