Transportation in Beijing

Beijing, as the capital and a municipality of the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a transportation hub, with a sophisticated network of roads, railways and a major airport. Four completed ring roads encircle a city with nine expressways heading out in virtually all compass directions, supplemented by eleven China National Highways.

Rail

Beijing has a growing subway system, as well as three major train railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (or the central station) and Beijing West Railway Station and the newly opened Beijing South Railway Station,which is the biggest in China.

Beijing Subway

The evolving Beijing Subway has five lines (two above ground, three underground), with several more being built in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics. As of May 2006, all stations have been upgraded for "Yikatong" (一卡通) usage. By summer 2008, 8 lines on the Subway system were in operation (Lines 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, Batong, and the Airport Express). 2015 plans call for 561 km of subways.Fact|date=October 2008

Railways

Beijing is one of China's railway hubs. The following eight major railways radiate out of Beijing:

* Jingguang Railway, to Guangzhou, Guangdong
* Jinghu Railway, to Shanghai
* Jingha Railway, to Harbin, Heilongjiang
* Jingbao Railway, to Baotou, Inner Mongolia
* Jingyuan Railway, to Yuanping, Shanxi
* Jingcheng Railway, to Chengde, Hebei
* Jingqin Railway, to Qinhuangdao, Hebei
* Jingjiu Railway, to Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR [Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. To cross the internal border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, passengers have to go through immigration and customs checks.]

Six other railway stations in Metropolitan Beijing handle regular passenger traffic: Beijing East, Beijing North, Beijing South, Fengtai, Guanganmen, and Xinghuo. Hepingli Railway Station seems to have been completely abandoned and is apparently no longer in service.

International trains leave from Beijing:
* to cities in Russia
* to cities in Mongolia
* to Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)

Roads

One of Beijing's biggest traffic concerns is its widespread traffic congestion. Traffic in the city centre is often gridlocked, with rush hour lasting 11 hours a day as of 2006, and smooth traffic only available at night. Topping out areas with frequent traffic jams are the eastern and western 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads, the northern 4th Ring Road, Shangqing Bridge, Jianguo Road, and Xidaokou.

The authorities have attempted several moves to unblock traffic-- with limited success. The police frequently fine traffic violators. Actual enforcement, however, is spotty. With car ownership soaring, and the authorities not willing to copy Shanghai's method of auctioning licence plates to limit road traffic or slapping extra costs, the congestion problem is grave. With Beijing's relatively large number of Communist Party-connected "VIPs", limited private ownership would prove vastly unpopular. It is ironic that, while the 7th Ring Road is in planning, central Beijing remains a virtual car park during rush hour. Critics point out that Beijing's ring roads and urban sprawl are major factors in clogged up city traffic. So far, no elevated highways (a la Shanghai or Hong Kong) have been built in Beijing.

Road construction has been maximised, with more new road projects being commenced than ever. Unfortunately, unlike 2003 (which witnessed the opening of the remaining 40% of the 5th Ring Road on time on November 1, 2003), 2004 proved to be a poor year in terms of the Beijing authorities holding their promises on new roads to be opened to general traffic. The Jingcheng Expressway (3rd Ring Road - 4th Ring Road) opened two days behind time (September 30 instead of September 28), and with access to the expressway only on the ring road section heading anticlockwise, and only bound for Chengde, being possible. Meanwhile, the southwestern 6th Ring Road was scheduled to be opened in November 2004, but has been delayed; an inspection of the ring road was concluded in late November, with success, but the road "still" remains closed as of mid-December 2004. Basic work for the Airport Expressway (2nd Ring Road - 3rd Ring Road) was boasted for completion by December 12, 2004; that, too, was a missed deadline.

One big problem is that public transportation is underdeveloped: the subway system is presently minimal and are jam-packed with people around rush hour. Beijing authorities claim that traffic congestions will be a thing of the past come the 2008 Olympics. However, most Beijing residents expect the government to merely prohibit all private automobile traffic during the Games. The authorities have introduced several bus lanes. Once they are working successfully, however, a different problem emerges with congestion at bus stops -- within bus lanes. As there are no published schedules, order collapses.

Another problem is the driving situation itself. Respect for the traffic law is only settling in slowly. As a result, many Beijing drivers still pull out to overtake in all directions, and some do not bother with the indicator lights. Traffic violations are rife, checked only by the police on duty. Overtaking on the right, a clear violation in nations where driving on the right side of the road is standard, is exercised with alarming frequency -- even on expressways. Local drivers are very aggressive, sometimes resorting to physical violence. China's rapid economic development also means that most drivers are new and unskilled. Driving on Beijing roads is dangerous, especially for beginners.

Roads in Beijing often are in one of the four compass directions (unlike, for example, Tianjin). Additionally, five ring roads (including one partially open), nine expressways, and numerous fast through routes and China National Highways all form an expansive traffic infrastructure around the capital.

Ring roads

: "Main article: Ring Roads of Beijing"

The city is served by four completed concentric ring roads (with the 6th ring nearing completion). From the center of the city outward, they are:

* 2nd Ring Road
* 3rd Ring Road
* 4th Ring Road
* 5th Ring Road
* 6th Ring Road (partially open)

The western part of the 6th Ring Road is still partially under projection. There are rare references to a 7th Ring Road. It is odd to note that Beijing does not officially have a 1st Ring Road.

Expressways

:"Main topic: Expressways of Beijing"

Nine toll expressways link Beijing to its suburbs, outlying regions, and other cities; these are:

* Badaling Expressway (Madian - Badaling Great Wall - Jingzhang Expressway, 70 km)
* Jingcheng Expressway (Taiyanggong - Gaoliying, 23 km)
* Airport Expressway (Sanyuanqiao - Beijing Capital International Airport, 19 km)
* Jingtong Expressway (Dawang Bridge - Tongzhou District, c. 15 km)
* Jingha Expressway (Beiguan Roundabout - Yanjiao, Hebei)
* Jingshen Expressway (Sifang Bridge - Shenyang, 658 km)
* Jingjintang Expressway (Fenzhongsi - Tianjin - Tanggu)
* Jingkai Expressway (Yuquanying - Yufa, c. 40 km)
* Jingshi Expressway (Liuliqiao - Shijiazhuang, c. 270 km)

The Jingcheng Expressway is still partially under construction, and when it is complete, it will link to Chengde. The Jingha and Jingkai Expressways are only complete through the Beijing municipal border.

China National Highways

Eleven China National Highway routes depart from Beijing in virtually all compass directions:

* China National Highway 101 (Dongzhimen - Chengde - Shenyang)
* China National Highway 102 (Chaoyangmen - Harbin)
* China National Highway 103 (Fenzhongsi - Tianjin - Tanggu)
* China National Highway 104 (Yongdingmen - Fuzhou)
* China National Highway 105 (Yongdingmen - Zhuhai - Macau)
* China National Highway 106 (Yuquanying - Guangzhou)
* China National Highway 107 (Guang'anmen - Shenzhen)
* China National Highway 108 (Fuxingmen - Kunming)
* China National Highway 109 (Fuchengmen - Lhasa)
* China National Highway 110 (Deshengmen - Yinchuan)
* China National Highway 111 (Dongzhimen - Heilongjiang province)

Bus

There are more than 500 bus routes in the city. Basically, you can travel to any destination by using its huge but complex bus system.

Bus Lines:

Buses in Beijing are numbered from 1 to 999. Line numbers in different range means different service areas as follows.

Lines 1-199: Services in inner city. For most travellers, these lines are adequate for their visits.

Lines 200-299: Night services in inner city.

Lines 300-399: Services in outer city / suburb. Travellers should take these lines for their visits to some remote places such as the Summer Palace.

Lines 400-599: Community services/ service to outer city or suburbs.

Lines 600-799: Services with routes both in inner city and outer city. Usually these lines have longer routes.

Lines 800-899: Air-conditioned services.

Lines 900-999: Services from inner city to rural area. Travellers can take these services to remote places such as the Great Wall.

Bus fares

Beijing has introduced a simplified and reduced bus fare system from Jan 1, 2007 as follows.

Bus Pass

3-day, 7-day and 14-day short-term bus passes are available for travellers.

Bus Enquiry Services

Beijing bus provides enquiry services via both its official website http://www.bjbus.com and a helpline: [phone].

Taxi

Taxi fares depend on the vehicle type: these start at CNY 10 for the first 3 kilometers, and go up by CNY2.00 per extra kilometer; the per-kilometer charge is based upon the make and model of the vehicle. After 10pm the base fare goes up to CNY 11. There are also 红旗 taxis which operate at a 2.00 rate, however these are a rarity and not commonly seen. Idling time is also factored into the total fare. All legal cabs will be part golden yellow in color, and display their permits and paperwork on the dash and windshield.

There are also many illegal cabs known as 黑车 ("heiche", meaning 'Black Cabs'), which operate via a pre-negotiated fare. A significant proportion of taxi drivers operate scams where they drive foreigners to destinations other than where they intended, claiming a commission if the foreigner makes a purchase at the alternative destination e.g. taking the foreigner to a different hotel and claiming a percentage of the nightly rate they pay.

Taxi-like services, including Pedicabs, are also widely used. A motorized or manual bicycle is probably the most commonly seen form, although pedicabs are still available in certain parts of the city. These quaint modes of transportation also employ the pre-negotiated fare system

In 1999, the environmentally unsound "bread cars" (Minivans)("mianbao che", a.k.a "miandi") were decommissioned in a stringent manner. They used to charge CNY 1 per kilometre. Although it was sound, budget-wise, their poor environmental record and an increasing consciousness of the image of the capital were the factors that landed them in the dumpster. As of 2004, 1.20 RMB/km taxicabs are being phased out, and as of 2006 all taxi fares are 2.00 RMB per km with the same 10 RMB starting fare for 3km rule. Hyundai Elantra is becoming the common new type of taxi, along with Volkswagen Jetta CiF.

Air

Beijing's main airport is the Beijing Capital International Airport near Shunyi, which is about 20 kilometres northeast of Beijing proper. Flights from all major continents land in Beijing. This airport is also where a lot of domestic lines land.

Other airports in the city include Liangxiang Airport, Nanyuan Airport, Xijiao Airport and Badaling Airport. However, these are less well-known. [http://www.muztagh.com/china-flight/beijing.htm Domestic Flights to Beijing ]

References and Notes

ee also

*Grand Canal of China
*Transportation in China