PLANS for Beijing’s first off-road bike path have been finalized, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, reports nbd.com.cn.

Construction on the first stage of the project is due to start in September and be completed in late June next year.

The 6.5-kilometer-long bike path starts in Huilongguan in Changping District and runs to Shangdi in Haidian District in southwestern Beijing. Future extensions of the bike path may take it into the Zhongguancun high-tech industry area in southwestern Beijing.

To protect the safety of riders, electric bikes and other vehicles will be forbidden from using the bike path. Barrier gates will also be installed to prevent other vehicles from entering or blocking the bike path.

The 6-meter-wide bike path is designed to allow bikes to travel at 20 kilometers per hour, with a capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 bikes per hour per lane. Reversible lanes will be used to help ease traffic jams at rush hour.

About 86,000 public bicycles at the docking stations can be rented with a Beijing Transportation Smart Card, while 2.35 million dockless shared bikes are available through mobile apps, facilitating transfers to every corner of the city. (SD-Xinhua)