Comments on: Wiki Wednesday: Beijing http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/20/wiki-wednesday-beijing/ Covering Los Angeles's livable streets movement Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:23:58 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Umberto Brayj http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/20/wiki-wednesday-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-2070 Umberto Brayj Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:06:42 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1054#comment-2070 While China tries to emulate our automobile/gas/consumerism style of life, we're possibly going in the opposite direction. My evidence? I've just started a business importing bicycles (like the ones in the picture above) to L.A., from China. The bikes are China's "Flying Pigeon" brand. You can check them out here: http://flyingpigeon-la.com Sorry for the shameless, self-interested, plug. While China tries to emulate our automobile/gas/consumerism style of life, we're possibly going in the opposite direction. My evidence?

I've just started a business importing bicycles (like the ones in the picture above) to L.A., from China. The bikes are China's "Flying Pigeon" brand. You can check them out here: http://flyingpigeon-la.com

Sorry for the shameless, self-interested, plug.

]]> By: calwatch http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/20/wiki-wednesday-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-2031 calwatch Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:02:26 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1054#comment-2031 The other thing is that, to be blunt, Asian drivers are more aggressive than American drivers. There is very little sense of courtesy in Asia and in Taiwan, drivers routinely try to squeeze in a left turn as soon as the light turns green and motorcycles and scooters will just swarm all around you in order to get to the next red light. Scooters are just as dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists as cars, because of their high rate of acceleration. In Taiwan, you'll see motor scooters motoring through night markets and even indoor produce markets. That is probably worse for human powered vehicles, especially since the assumption there is that faster traffic has the right of way. The other thing is that, to be blunt, Asian drivers are more aggressive than American drivers. There is very little sense of courtesy in Asia and in Taiwan, drivers routinely try to squeeze in a left turn as soon as the light turns green and motorcycles and scooters will just swarm all around you in order to get to the next red light. Scooters are just as dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists as cars, because of their high rate of acceleration. In Taiwan, you'll see motor scooters motoring through night markets and even indoor produce markets. That is probably worse for human powered vehicles, especially since the assumption there is that faster traffic has the right of way.

]]> By: D. Malcolm Carson http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/08/20/wiki-wednesday-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-2028 D. Malcolm Carson Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:12:41 +0000 http://la.streetsblog.org/?p=1054#comment-2028 I spent a couple of weeks in Beijing last summer. The bicycle situation is not as bad as this post makes it out to be. Most of the major streets in Beijing have bicycle lanes separated by physical barriers (in most cases an actual raised median) from street traffic. There are still typically scores of bikes at any given intersection, queued up waiting to cross. There are also still hundreds of "hutong" streets that are totally off limits to vehicle traffi, but open to bikes/peds only. They're basically alleyways that have developed into full-scale commercial/residential streets over time. One interesting aspect is that maybe close to half of the bicycles in Beijing are electric. Yes, it is true that there are also a lot of cars. But there are no freeways in or going through Central Beijing, so most of the traffic is really more towards the fringes. The central city is far more bike and ped friendly than any place I've seen here. There are also exclusive bus lanes on all major bus lines, with all-door boarding and decent bus stop furniture. It is also true that the direction in which the country is headed is not good from an environmental perspective, and I suppose if I had been to Beijing two decades ago it would've been much better in terms of lack of cars, pollution, etc. But I also think it's a bit hyperbolic to paint it as being horrible for bikes/peds, when it fact it's still far superior to what we have here. I spent a couple of weeks in Beijing last summer. The bicycle situation is not as bad as this post makes it out to be. Most of the major streets in Beijing have bicycle lanes separated by physical barriers (in most cases an actual raised median) from street traffic. There are still typically scores of bikes at any given intersection, queued up waiting to cross. There are also still hundreds of "hutong" streets that are totally off limits to vehicle traffi, but open to bikes/peds only. They're basically alleyways that have developed into full-scale commercial/residential streets over time. One interesting aspect is that maybe close to half of the bicycles in Beijing are electric.

Yes, it is true that there are also a lot of cars. But there are no freeways in or going through Central Beijing, so most of the traffic is really more towards the fringes. The central city is far more bike and ped friendly than any place I've seen here. There are also exclusive bus lanes on all major bus lines, with all-door boarding and decent bus stop furniture.

It is also true that the direction in which the country is headed is not good from an environmental perspective, and I suppose if I had been to Beijing two decades ago it would've been much better in terms of lack of cars, pollution, etc. But I also think it's a bit hyperbolic to paint it as being horrible for bikes/peds, when it fact it's still far superior to what we have here.

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