POLITICAL advisers suggested Shenzhen promote the construction of aerial bicycle lanes and incorporate the bicycle lane construction plan into the city’s overall plan for developing green commuting.

At a meeting Thursday, Liu Youhua, deputy head with the resources and population committee of the CPPCC Shenzhen committee, told his fellow advisers that Shenzhen should focus on the slow-traffic system, consider the need of public commuting and separate the flows of pedestrians and vehicles by referring to the experience of Hong Kong.

Another political adviser, Wang Xue, a professor at Shenzhen Polytechnic, even suggested building a bicycle passage spanning Meilin Checkpoint to solve the congestion.

“It is only several kilometers from Meilin Checkpoint to the Civic Center. It only takes 20 minutes for a young man to ride from Meilin to the Civic Center, but at least more than an hour if the road is congested,” Wang said.

Wang also suggested the related department narrow vehicle lanes to leave more space for bicycle lanes.

“The present vehicle lanes are 3.25 meters in width. If they are narrowed to 2.95 meters, efficiency and safety remains ensured, while bicycles can have their own lanes,” said Wang.

More than 4 million app-based bicycle rides are recorded a day in Shenzhen, equivalent to the ridership of the bus and Metro services.

Wang said around 210,000 bicycle rides are made a day by those who have had their driver’s licenses suspended. This could help reduce carbon emissions by 109,100 tons a year and save 51.75 million liters of fuel consumption.

Political adviser Wang Fuhai suggested the Shenzhen government consider the land use and urban traffic layout in a post-automobile era.

“Public transport and slow-traffic system should be the two driving forces for Shenzhen’s commuting development. The life circle in walking distance should be a focus for consideration in adjusting and integrating urban rejuvenation, improvement of infrastructure, equilibrium of public service facilities, community building and environment treatment,” said Wang.

At the meeting, Huang Min, vice mayor of Shenzhen, said bicycle parking facilities will be built within 50 meters of Metro stations and bus stops by 2020. Bicycle lanes will be a standard setup for the planning of newly built roads. Some existing roads, which meet certain conditions, could be narrowed to give way to bicycle lanes. (Han Ximin)