ARTICLE FROM THE BOOK:
Cyclists & Cycling Around the World – Creating Liveable
andBikeable
CitiesCyclists& Cycling
Aroundthe World
Edited by Juan Carlos Dextre, Mike Hughes & Lotte Bech
Published by Fondo Editorial, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, 2013
ISBN: 978-612-4146-55-8

Revitalisation of a Cycle Culture Biking again in Guangzhou
By Bram van Ooijen, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy(ITDP), Guangzhou, ChinaT

his article describes the role of cycling in Chinese cities. But mostly it looks atGuangzhou, the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in south China,
where cycling mode shares, as in any Chinese city, are dropping. The implementationof greenways and a public bike system are improving cycling conditions in Guangzhou
though and are reversing this negative trend. This provides useful lessons to other cities
in China and around the world.
This chapter is based on practical experience from a range of projects ITDP China has
been involved in, as well as a number of our own surveys and related literature.

Bicycle Kingdom?
In the last two decades, China, still known as the ‘bicycle kingdom’, has embraced thearrival of cars and is promoting this with a vast expansion of roads inside and between
cities. In order to support and accelerate the development of Chinese cities, city
governments’ focus is predominantly on the implementation of inner-city (ring) roads
and the widening of existing roads. The road density in Chinese cities is growing on
average at a rate of 9% per year (see Appendix). China’s biggest cities are also in theprocess of expanding their metro networks and building bus rapid transit (BRT) systems,
in an effort to meet public transport demand, especially for longer trips.
In cities’ transportation plans little or no attention is given to the preservation anddevelopment of bike facilities, like bike lanes and bike parking. It seems policy makers,planners and designers have forgotten how crucial the bicycle is to such a large number

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Source: Darido et al. 2009of Chinese living in cities. Even though cycling shares are dropping, the table aboveshows that cycling is still (one of ) the most important traffic modes in many Chinesecities. Cycling mode shares vary across cities, but are generally above 20%, and evenhigher in less developed cities and the countryside.
Economic growth, changing cultural perceptions, rapid motorisation, spatial growth,and changes in trip patterns are seen as reasons why cities are experiencing a decline
in cycling shares (see Appendix). As a result of the lack of policies for cycling and thepromotion of motorised traffic, and the infrastructure these need, cycling is increasingly
becoming a dangerous way to get around in Chinese cities. Bike lanes are disappearing
from roads, or are being moved to the sidewalk, where cyclists are supposed to share thespace with pedestrians. Where bike lanes still exist, they are often located on the kerbsideof the mixed traffic roads, not physically separated from motorised traffic, and becoming
blocked by cars driving or parking. Moreover, a lack of sufficient bike parking lots andstands, and a high risk of bike theft, are also discouraging cycling.

Cycling in Guangzhou
Guangzhou, for a long time, has had lower bike shares compared to other Chinese cities.
The city historically known as Canton, is the capital of China’s most prosperous Guangdong
Province. Located in Southern China, Guangzhou has an estimated population of 16
million people.

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Cyclists & Cycling Around the World

Figure 2. Guangzhou’s residents
used to get around by bike

Figure 1. Guangzhou’s
Haizhu bridge packed withcyclists, several decades ago

For decades, the bicycle was the main mode of transportation for Guangzhou’s residents.
Dedicated bike lanes were filled with cyclists making their way through the city. Dedicatedbike parking areas the size of suburban shopping mall lots were located across the city.
Citizens were cruising past as far as the eye could see, as cars were not available andpublic transport service was slow and had little coverage.
But much has changed since the Chinese economy, especially in the South, withGuangzhou as one of the main instigators, grew rapidly during the 90s and 00s. Still,
images of hundreds of cyclists can be seen in some places of the city, with migrant
workers pedalling to work in the early morning, but the numbers, especially in the moredeveloped parts of the city, have dropped drastically. In thirteen years, between 1992
and 2005, the share of walking and cycling combined, dropped from 70% to 40%, withthe majority of trips currently made on foot (see Appendix). Last year, only 8% of trips inGuangzhou were made by bike (see Appendix).

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The main reason for the decline in cycling over the last decade is the improvement ofcar and public transport infrastructure. In 1949, Guangzhou had 230 kilometers of road(see Appendix). In 2010, urban roads stretched for 5519 kilometers, with another 717
kilometers planned by 2015 (see Appendix). This greatly improved conditions for driving.
Also Guangzhou now has eight metro lines, with three more opening in the coming threeyears. There are currently around 1200 bus routes, covering the entire city, and a worldclass bus rapid transit (BRT) system is linking the city centre with the Eastern districts.
But cycling is still an important part of Guangzhou’s urban transport system. It serves asa favourable travel mode for short trips, for commuting as well as shopping and visiting
friends and relatives. Also, cycling offers low-cost mobility for the urban poor, who often
have no choice but to cycle for their trips. A survey in Guangzhou’s central Tianhe district(see Appendix) shows all different types of people ride bikes for all different kinds ofpurposes. The average cyclist in Guangzhou though, rides a bike to get to and from workor for work (there is a high share of delivery bikers), rides a bike every day, is under 30years old, has a lower to middle income and rides a fairly cheap bike. There is an equalamount of male and female cyclists.
Despite the negative trend for cycling, two projects have greatly improved cyclingconditions in Guangzhou in the past years. Both were spurred by the Asian Games, theworld’s second-biggest multi-sport event in the world, that Guangzhou organized in 2010.
In the run-up to the event, Guangzhou invested heavily in improving its infrastructure,public transport, public services and parks, but also in the construction of a greenway
network and the implementation of a public bike system.

Guangzhou greenways bring bike lanes and bike parking
In an effort to improve urban living and preserve cultural and environmental sights,
Guangdong’s Party Secretary Yang Wang started the development of greenways
throughout cities in Guangdong province, especially Guangzhou. In 2010, right before
the opening of the Asian Games, 1,000 kilometers of greenways were implemented
in Guangzhou, and currently over 2,000 kilometers are open to the public. Thesegreenways, stretched-out parks along scenic and cultural spots and large transportation
corridors, are beautifully landscaped paths for pedestrians and cyclists. The greenways
are separated from motorised traffic and serve both as a recreational space for people
to relax, play and gather, as well as a transportation corridor for pedestrians and cyclists
to get around safely and conveniently. In the first year of opening, 25 million people
throughout the province visited greenways or used them on a daily basis. By 2015, a
total of 8,770 kilometers of greenways will be finished, connecting city centres withsuburbs and rural areas and even connecting all cities in Guangdong in a Provincial
greenway network.

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Cyclists & Cycling Around the World

Guangzhou’s government intends to make greenways the backbone of Guangzhou’s
cycling network. In the city centre and suburbs, greenways were built on theboulevards along the Pearl River, along creek banks, between parks, through residential
areas, at universities and along large traffic arterials. In rural areas, the construction ofgreenways on scenic routes has stimulated rural development. A farmer in Guangzhou’sZhengcheng district explained how greenways have changed his life. “I used to be
motorbike taxi driver in the city, but I moved back to the countryside where my parents
live. I opened a restaurant, serving locally grown food to greenway visitors. I make a lotof money now. Friends have opened bike rentals, hotels and small markets, selling local
vegetables and fruits” (in Yangcheng Evening Newspaper, on 2012.02.23).
Land values, both urban and rural, have risen substantially for areas around greenways,
showing the economic value of building high-quality pedestrian and cycling
infrastructure (see Appendix). A study showed that the rural collective economy alonggreenways was 54% higher than that away from greenways (see Appendix). Also incity centre areas, surveys showed an increase of 30% of land values around the mostsuccessful greenways, compared to the average increase in the district.
The Forestry and Landscaping Bureau, in charge of greenways in Guangzhou, incooperation with district governments, are organizing events on greenways. Media
cover high-level government leaders, students, school children and celebrities riding
bikes on a greenway, to promote its use among ordinary citizens. Guannan Liu, aGuangzhou resident, has fond memories of cycling as a kid. “Economic development
has had bad effects on the quality of life in the city and the way we travel. Greenways
have given us back public green space and a chance to safely ride a bike again. Thisbrings back the culture of cycling I remember from when I was a child. I am happy
I can now share that again with my friends and my young child” (in Southern Daily
newspaper, 16 January 2011).
After the initial success in Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong’s Pearl riverdelta, many other Chinese cities started implementing greenways. Hebei and Fujian
provinces both decided to construct greenways in all their cities. Currently over 60
greenway networks are implemented or planned in China, with more cities joining
every month. The Vice-minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China’s
national government said greenways reduce PM 2.5 emissions and promote social
equity, by providing leisure activities for the urban poor. He urged the implementationof greenways across Chinese cities and stressed the importance of implementing publicbikes on greenways. For residents, greenways provide high-quality walking and cycling
infrastructure and elevate the status of cycling, whereas politicians and city officials
boost their careers with implementing high-profile projects.

37346578Figure 3. Cyclists flock to a greenway along Guangzhou’s Pearl river, traversing the city.
Figure 4. Well-separated bike track on Guangzhou’s renowned Shengwudao greenway (photo credit:Karl Fjellstrom)
Figure 5. Cyclists using high-quality, separated bike lanes in the central business district for daily commute
Figure 6. Shengwudao’s greenway incorporates not only bike tracks, but also bike parking, pedestrian
promenades, playgrounds, rest areas and restaurants
Figure 7. Cycling groups organize joint bike rides on Guangzhou’s greenways
Figure 8. Mountainbikers coming together on a greenway in the countryside38

Cyclists & Cycling Around the WorldAs a result of this, greenways are now spreading throughout China, proving how
successful Guangzhou’s pilot project has been.
Greenways have greatly benefited cycling conditions in Guangzhou. In order to increase
cycling on greenways, much work remains to be done on improving the quality of thebike lanes, and the continuity of these. Better access and connectivity with origins anddestinations of cyclists, will really make greenways the backbone of the cycling network
in Guangzhou.

Public bike system connect to Bus Rapid Transit system
A public system was built in the eastern part of central Guangzhou, connecting the bus
rapid transit (BRT) system with the surrounding neighbourhoods. Guangzhou’s BRT
corridor has bike lanes on both sides of the road. At 22 of 26 BRT stations, public bikestations are located to provide passengers with ‘last-mile access’. Public bike stations are
dotted in the areas within five kilometers from the corridor, mostly in residential andbusiness areas, to provide easier access to and from the BRT station. The BRT serves as atrunk line for longer trips, with the public bike system as a feeder. “Outside my apartment
I take a public bike, I ride 10 minutes to the BRT station and then take the BRT to my officebuilding. Without the public bike I probably would drive a car”, according to Lulu Wen.
The first phase of the system was implemented in June 2010 and within two months wasexpanded to 5000 bikes at 113 public bike stations. At BRT stations another 5500 private
bike parking stands were installed to allow for convenient chain mobility for cyclists on
private bikes. In the first years of operation the average number of daily trips reached21,000, with 45,750 people registered on the system. Surveys have shown that mostpublic bike users previously used the overcrowded bus system. More than two thirds ofGuangzhou’s bike sharing trips were previously made by motorized transport saving an
estimated 636 tons of CO2 per year. Only 10% shifted from driving a car and only 10%
swapped their private bike for a public bike.
Bicycles can be rented from docks at every station by swiping the city transportation
card, which is also used in bus, metro and convenience stores. The first hour of use is free,with a small fee for 2 hours (1 RMB – 0.15USD), to encourage short-term use. For longer
use, mainly recreational, a fee of 3 RMB/hour (0.45USD/hour) is set. A deposit of 300RMB(50USD), when registering, prevents theft of the public bikes.
The system was initiated by the Guangzhou government and operated by a governmentowned public bike company. Recently Guangzhou’s bus company, also operating on theBRT, took over the public bike company, making integration and coordination mucheasier. Subsequently plans were announced to expand the system with more stations
and bicycles in the near future.

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Figure 9. Integrated transportation: Guangzhou public bikes, protected bike lanes and the bus rapidtransit (BRT)
Figure 10. Cycling along Zhongshan avenue, one of Guangzhou’s busy traffic arterials, has become a lot
safer and more pleasant with public bikes and this greenway
Figure 11. A well-designed bike lane runs along this public bike station
Figure 12. Public and private bike users share the protected bike lane along Guangzhou’s BRT corridor
Figure 13. Small-sized public bike station in residential area, connected to a separated bike track40

Cyclists & Cycling Around the WorldIn 2008, Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) was the first Chinese city to implement a publicbike system. After its success, many cities followed suit. Currently 45 cities in China operate
51 public bicycle systems with more than 220,000 bikes in total, including China’s bigcities Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Every month cities across China expand existing
public bike systems and open new systems. The existence of public bike systems often
urges city government to expand and improve existing bike lanes as well.
Guangzhou’s concept of connecting to public transport system was unique, but is now
being copied in other Chinese cities. Most cities have chosen stations across the entire
city or certain city districts, like Paris and Barcelona, to provide coverage for trips in any
direction. Both models provide sustainable transportation and greatly improve cycling
conditions for its residents.

A revitalized cycling culture
Despite government neglect in the preservation and improvement of cycling conditionsin Chinese cities, some cities have started building high-quality cycling infrastructure.
With greenways and a public bike system, Guangzhou has shown that cycling is an
integral part of city life and urban transport. There is a long way to go to improve andexpand Guangzhou’s greenways and public bike system, and make them convenient for
all to use. But what can be seen is the revival of a cycling culture as a result of theseprojects. The successive rapid dispersion of greenways and public bike systems in other
Chinese cities, after Guangzhou’s successful projects, gives hope for the preservation ofChina’s cycling culture and its image as a bicycle kingdom.
Bram van Ooijen
bram@itdp-china.org

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