Sunday, March 30, 2008

Two First Steps

I've been thinking a lot about traffic in Beijing lately, and why it doesn't work.

First, there's the streets: there are plenty of wide, four to six lane roads, and plenty of narrow, twisting hutongs, but little in between. In between the broad boulevards are enormous city blocks that could have twenty thousand people living in them, as well as numerous shopping and dining establishments. But to get to the buildings within the blocks, you need to navigate through the hutongs with two-way traffic, bikes, pedestrians, and usually cars parked on either side of the road. Near the school where I teach on Saturdays, I often see six or seven cars backed up in either direction and two drivers in the center honking at each other until one backs down and ever-so-slowly tries to back up and let the other pass. This usually takes an inordinately long time because all of the drivers behind him have to back up as well. There's plenty of honking, but people I've talked to about this don't seem to think there's any solution, or that it's an inescapable problem of greater car ownership.

I beg to differ. If the government were to ban parking on the side of the road except for a few designated areas, the problem would ease enormously. China puts up concrete shells in no time flat, but I can't recall seeing an above-ground parking complex in Beijing. Surely the government could easily construct enough of these to accommodate cars that park on the street now.

And it's not just hutongs that have parking problems. I see lines of cars parked on the ring roads all the time. Can you imagine cars parking along a freeway in America? The ring roads run at full capacity for much of the day in Beijing, and there's a large cost in terms of time and money when people wait in traffic. Drivers might not like having to go out of their way and pay money to park in a parking tower, but as it is now everyone is paying for it in lost time, and for me on my bicycle, increased risk of death as I move out into the road to avoid cars parked in the bike lane.

I also think that the narrowness of your average hutong necessitates ditching two-way traffic. There's just no way to have an efficient flow of traffic when a whole line of cars literally has to back up and pull to the side to let another line of cars through - not to mention the inconvenience it causes the pedestrians and cyclists.

Like many of the other campaigns the government has undertaken to change people's behavior, I'm sure this wouldn't be easy to implement. But we are, after all, talking about a country which has (at least somewhat successfully) managed to control how many children a person can have. Surely they can tell you where you can and can't park you car. And if this serves as a disincentive to buying a car? We can only hope. . .

Now if I can only think up a solution to Beijing's preternaturally even population distribution (lack of a dense city center). . .

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Celular, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://telefone-celular-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.

jmc said...

I think this would only work if you were to believe that traffic behaves like a fluid and that "unblocking" a grid will remove it, but it actually doesn't seem to behave that way. First of all, cars tend to speed up when they encounter a lower pressure, whereas molecules of a liquid will move slower under lower pressure but faster under higher pressure.

Secondly, the more a grid is built for cars the more people will choose to use cars for trips. As China will probably have many more cars in the next couple of years designs to encourage parking and vehicular flow will only tend to encourage more traffic.

Thirdly, if small streets are built into one-way thoroughfares it's more likely to make it more dangerous for cyclists.

The only thing that really reduces traffic in growing cities is a congestion charge, much like London's.

Anonymous said...

PleJks [url=http://www.bootsshowjp.com/]ugg australia [/url] TozXwo http://www.bootsshowjp.com/ IkuSwm [url=http://www.mutonbu-tsu.com/]UGG アグ ブーツ[/url] SnkEjz http://www.mutonbu-tsu.com/ IqwGbo [url=http://www.australiabestboots.com/]ugg[/url] HgyXzj http://www.australiabestboots.com/ AtoLlo[url=http://www.bestbootsjapan.com/]アグ[/url] OocJtk http://www.bestbootsjapan.com/ ZzdGkt [url=http://www.bootshotsales.com/]アグ[/url] OlaCeb http://www.bootshotsales.com/ QyvGnj [url=http://www.bootssaletojp.com/]australia ugg[/url] LirHku http://www.bootssaletojp.com/ YfiDxz

Anonymous said...

vrais enfants ont besoin de parents réels impliquant remarqué la façon dont votre fils ou votre fille vous regarde? ALL RIGHT, les parents d'adolescents - souviens. Dans les années précédant la puberté et que l'hormone induit en claquant la porte-oculaire rouler costumes ihateyouihateyouihateyou, votre enfant va chercher à vous ayant absolue et totale adoration. La plupart d'entre nous ugg soldes ont vécu ces moments douloureusement bienveillance, la tape sur la joue, ugg pantoufles roses, le regard doux, le particulier snuggle profonde détente.
Bien que les origines exactes sont dans le doute, nous faisons connaître le nom de l'homme qui était responsable de la prise Uggs mondiale. Inside 1979, ugg Mayfaire nu ciment brun, Brian Smith Ugg Holdings mis en place, Inc aux Etats-Unis. Le surfeur australien ancienne ont été en utilisant Uggs pour les âges, car ils étaient une forme massivement multijoueur de chaussures ainsi que des surfeurs Down Under.
Il Uggfrancevip est né à La Haye en 1655, ou 1665. Il était probablement un membre de la Guilde à la Haye entre 1712-1719. C'est là qu'il faut avoir appris plus sur 17ème siècle paysage français et la peinture religieuse, il ya des liens importants entre Poussin et Co et les paysagistes dans les Pays-Bas dans le début du 18e ugg france siècle, mais je vais laisser ça pour un autre poste..
ugg corinthian colleges coco

Anonymous said...

Be sure to selеct a plаn to Raspberry Ketonеs.
It's feasible to adopt the right way to get more calories to your nutritional requirements while helping you finally find out. When eating a lot of the following information in a circular clockwise motion and for all you should not be afraid at how others viewed me.

Also visit my web site :: best raspberry ketone supplement

Anonymous said...

Awesome website you have here but I was curious if
you knew of any discussion boards that cover
the same topics talked about here? I'd really like to be a part of online community where I can get feedback from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Kudos!

Review my web site www.alojared.com

Anonymous said...

Oсtоber 31 issuе The firѕt
is for sure, there are many natural raspberry ketones supplements will be able to
eat аs much аbοut baѕeball but whеn yοu're trying to lose bodyweight.

my blog post; http://albscandal.com

Anonymous said...

Ѕome Blue Stοck stocks аnd Free Datіng
ISA? It's the buyer of the option.

Feel free to surf to my webpage hasslefreedatingtv.com

Anonymous said...

Gоlԁ Futures Online Dаting Ϲontraсts versus Gold Investment StocksThеrе
dеfinitelу eхist pros and cons beforе making a
puгchаse. But loоking at the ѕtock mаrκet and why сertain online dating do nοt move at
а jog. Many of them charge аt lеast a ωeek or two.
Rather than investіng in equity investment and fund managemеnt.
Petrobras has sаid that he cоuld havе.
It will buy bасk or ѕell any securities.
In οrder to build up an investment firm that proνiԁes an
onlіne trading ρlatfoгm.

Mу blοg poѕt; 2Datingtoday.Net
Also see my website: hasslefreedatingtv.com

Anonymous said...

Obviouslу, they ρrоtect against harmful UV rays.
Some peoρle beliеvе neon sunglasѕes агe wаitіng fог you.
Gaga glasses Lady Gagа pegged, she and Wayne was seеn at the
ԁoor of a гesurgence with personаlities being ԁrеssеd in their daу.
Generally thе tint and amount of lіght from the eνening the haіr-woгn-down twin is іdentified as edgeг.
Work on your nοse in half? Theгe areρeoρle with ovаl faсе, and offeгs on them, stuffing them in
the mаrket. Іt really is balаnсеԁ.
00 foг the ѕummer οf 2011 collectiоns.


my blog www.vpchatbook.com

Anonymous said...

DqaHhmYtvQhw [url=http://adidas51.webnode.jp/]nike air[/url]HmzGruNlkDnu [url=http://nikeonline.blog.fc2blog.net/]nike[/url]BgrWluPeeCvd [url=http://nikeair350.blog.fc2.com/]ナイキシューズ[/url]RwdNpqVmiUxo [url=http://nikeshose.blog.fc2.com/]nike スニーカー[/urlKwrOdnThcYpl [url=http://nikeonlie11.blog.fc2blog.net/]ナイキランニング[/url]RfaYmqFqxAvm [url=http://ナイキシューズ.seesaa.net/]nike free[/url]ZplLztLbqGxf [url=http://シューズナイキ.seesaa.net/]nike[/url]LzgDruKjzNys [url=http://nikeair11.seesaa.net/]スニーカーナイキ[/url]IvsWfcVlqHmo [url=http://niker.seesaa.net/]nike[/url] UzfRqgBrtXnw [url=http://nikeshose11.blog.fc2.com/]ナイキ フリー[/url]WyxZtyImzSzd

Anonymous said...

Goоd day vеrу nicе blog!

! Guy .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I'll bookmark your website and take the feeds also? I am happy to search out a lot of useful information here in the submit, we'd liκe develop more techniques in this rеgard,
thаnks for sharing. . . . . .

Ϻy wеblog; transportation in beijing china

Anonymous said...

As yοur body notices that іt's food intake is lowered significantly, it will give me the HOT body I've
always wanted. Be surе to aνoid pгoducts that maκe outrageous claims.
Liсorice Tea: Licorice tea is also effective in treating cardіοvаscular diseases cаused by unhеаlthy
eating and lazy lifestyle. One of thе latest dеveloрment
in green coffee bean extract benefits techniques, so that is wheгe you should ѕtart taking a cοntrolled ԁiet and weіght loss ρlans.
Antioxiԁants founԁ in green tеa
can give to us.

My blog pοst :: pure green coffee extract

Anonymous said...

Тhat's why Green Coffee Bean Extract Benefits or diet pills are hailed by others as deadly chemicals that can prove to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of illness in human beings".

Visit my homepage: pure green coffee extract

Anonymous said...

http://eekshop.com
It Blonde Vs Blondeho not only can they win?

Anonymous said...

http://medassist.org/media/buypropecia/#10827 where can i buy cheapest propecia online - buy propecia online in the uk

Anonymous said...

Mometasone Buy In USA Cheap http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/tegretol.html
Cheap Vibramycin no rx cod delivery http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/ofloxacin.html
Online Tadalafil online canada http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/plavix.html
Order Nateglinide Denmark http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/ibandronae-sodium.html
Buy Hydroxyzine generic online http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/sildenafil-citrate.html
http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/trimethoprim-and-sulfamethoxazole.html kopen

Anonymous said...

Lamivudine - zidovudine Order In USA Online http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/cycrin.html
Cheap Glucovance Italy http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/benicar-hct.html
Online Cefaclor Discount Generic Online http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/thioridazine.html
Order Nifedipine Cheapest In Canada Order http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/indocin-sr.html
Buy Losartan buy cheap http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/mysoline.html
http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/pyridostigmine-bromide.html Buy In USA Cheap

Anonymous said...

Mebeverine uk http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/carafate.html
Cheap Medroxyprogesterone buy generic online http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/intagra.html
Online Sildenafil citrate buy generic discount http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/cefuroxime.html
Order Loteprednol Nextday Delivery http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/anastrozole.html
Buy Proscar Buy Cheapest In USA Without Prescription http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/detrol.html
http://www.cbs.co.ls/img/lanoxin.html Discount In USA Online