All (more) about bicycle...(19/8)

The Stereotypic Impression
Some people, including me, have a picturesque, sometimes stereotypic, impression of the bicycle-packed commuter flow in China. I was in Beijing in the summer of 1997, and I commuted by bicycle in the city every day. Traffic jam is always a trademark of urbanisation and rapid development. I still remember the chaotic scenes riding my bicycle along the densely congested main traffic flow. Though I mean a ‘main traffic flow’, cars, motorbikes and bicycles could come from any direction at the crossroad at the same time…That was a memorable adventure to me who used to enjoy a more systematic and efficient public transportation system in Hong Kong. The stereotypic memory therefore easily correlates my belief of the gigantic bicycle scenes I randomly found on the Internet…(read more)

(random photos found on Internet...)

It was from the summer in Beijing onward that I have been fascinated by this enjoyable, environmental-friendly and convenient mode of transport displacing in the urban area. A footnote to add about the bicycle scene in Hong Kong where I come from – the two-wheel can only be found in dedicated cycle path in the park or sub-urban areas in the New Territories. Basically the only rare cyclists in the CBD are those ‘professional’ delivery staff from local restaurants who do short-distance travel within blocks of building! So for citizens in Hong Kong, cycling is rather a leisure activity families and friends can do during weekend, and they have to go to the ‘dedicated’ area to ride. To supplement my footnote though, the first Chinese World Champion cyclist is from Hong Kong who won the 15km scratch in the 2007 tournament…
While the rapid economic development in China is witnessed by accelerated urbanization not only in the coastal area, but it has also been extending widely into the inner regions, the emergence of the increasingly affluent middle class population has boosted car sales in the urban area in China. More people rely on car as well as the improving public transportation. The trend will continue with the development in China. According to the latest Global Cities ranking by the Foreign Policy, 25 cities are located in Asia among the 65 global metropolitan spots, and 5 of them are in the Chinese mainland. More Chinese cities are replicating the urban development model and could join the list soon…
The authority is also aware of the sustainability issue of urban development and the implication of GHG emission, there has been some propaganda to ‘revive the kingdom of bicycle’.
Bike-and-Park Sustainability
Indeed, I fully support the surging momentum for big cities to adopt urban policy to encourage commuter flow by bicycle. For me, one of the many reasons to choose Paris as a favourable city to live is also because of its cyclist-friendly culture and infrastructure. When I first worked in Paris in 2005, the Velib system was not yet implemented, but with my own city bicycle, I still enjoyed very much the ease to transport within the city. The Velib system is believed to be one of the most successful projects driven by Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, and my only concern from a public administrative perspective is how the city government can more efficiently manage the public goods, as the shared property, though incurring rental charge, is prone to misuses and damages as observed from the quick depreciation of the bicycle parts etc.
The significant benefit to me as a bicycle owner in Paris is the decrease of stolen bicycle cases happening in town. Can you imagine that three of my well-locked bicycles were stolen in one year?!