The Beijing municipal government has stepped up efforts to provide
an efficient, safe and quick transportation system for the 2008
Olympic Games through planned special transport lines connecting
Olympic venues with the city's external and internal routes.
"We are confident of fulfilling the promises we made that it will
take less than 30 minutes for athletes and coaches to get from
where they live to any gymnasium and stadium in 2008," said Liu
Xiaoming, professor and vice-president of Beijing Polytechnic
University.
Transportation Consultant to the Beijing municipal government, Liu
is now responsible for the comprehensive layout of the Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS) for Beijing.
Beijing is expected to receive a maximum 1.2 million people per day
at Olympic venues during the 15-day competition period.
The transportation lines will mainly depend on a special
transportation circle for the Olympics and several other main
streets in Beijing. The circle consists of parts of the fourth and
fifth ring roads and their connecting roads, said Liu.
According to a fixed transportations promise, Beijing will provide
bus services and free public transport services to athletes,
coaches and judges.
Meanwhile, officials from the International Olympic Committee and
each national Olympic committee, as well as other honorable guests
will receive free car services.
As
part of the Olympic transport layout, the public transport system,
especially the urban railway, is the priority in the coming years
before the 2008 Games.
From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of riders on buses and subways
dropped from 35 percent to 27 percent, according to Quan Yongshen,
a top researcher with the Beijing Transport Development Research
Centre, a think tank for the capital city's communications
development.
In
an effort to accelerate the development of public transportation,
new subway lines totalling 126 kilometres will be constructed from
the current 63 kilometres of lines.
The length of the urban railway in Beijing will reach over 100
kilometres later this month with the opening to traffic of the
western section of the No 13 Urban Railway Line.
Among the planned urban railway lines, a high-speed 23-kilometre
line will be constructed in the future to connect urban Beijing
with the Capital International Airport, which is the first stop for
most attendants and visitors to the 2008 Games.
Meanwhile, seven new hubs including Xizhimen and Dongzhimen will be
set up to make the transfer from subway, urban railway, buses and
other vehicles more convenient and efficient.
Urban roads are expected to be increased by some 141 kilometres in
the near future.
Some 210,000 public parking lots are expected to be created and
parking guide systems will be introduced at the Olympic Green. The
systems are now functioning at key areas in the capital such as
Xidan and Wangfujing commercial streets.
Audiences to the opening and closing ceremonies will also enjoy
sufficient and quick transportation through the No 5 Subway Line
and a special branch at the Olympic Green.
Liu also promised that the impact on the daily lives of Beijing
residents will be the smallest possible due to good transport
organization and efficient management.
Experts also said that major communications infrastructure
facilities planned for the Olympics are also key projects for
Beijing's overall layout.
"The construction projects with sufficient financial support will
no doubt promote Beijing's economic development by a large extent,"
predicted Liu.
(China
Daily September 20, 2002)