China's first cycleway in the air starts trial operation

XIAMEN -- China's first bicycle path in the air, at a length of 7.6 kilometers, started a trial run Thursday in Xiamen, Eastern China's Fujian province.

According to Xiamen City Public Bicycle Management, the path will be open to all kinds of bikes, including public and private bikes, from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm during the month-long trial, in a bid to promote green transport.

The path appears as a winding viaduct and is built beneath the city's overhead BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lanes. The highest section of the bicycle path is five meters above ground.

The company said the path was designed to accommodate up to 2,023 bicycles per hour, with a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour. It covers the city's five major residential and three business centers.

There are 11 entries on the path, which will connect with 11 bus stations and two subway stations.

"I'm a little bit afraid of the height, so I thought I would dare not ride on it. But today I found the guardrail made me feel safe," said Xiamen resident Wu Xueying. "It's nice to ride a bicycle under the blue sky in the sunshine."
Resident Chen Yimin believes cycling may be an alternative to driving to work.

"I tried today, and it took 10 minutes from my home to my workplace, which is the same as when I was driving," Chen said.