Beijing opens its first bikeway today

Cyclists bike on the first bicycle-only lane near Longze subway station in Beijing, May 31, 2019. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing opened its first bicycle-only road at 7 am Friday morning, which is expected to ease traffic in the area between Huilongguan, a densely populated community, and Shangdi, where a large number of hi-tech companies are located, in northern Beijing.

An average of 11,600 people commute to work daily in the area.

According to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, the 6.5-kilometer-long road has a maximum speed of no more than 15 kilometers per hour and pedestrians, electric bicycles and other vehicles are forbidden to enter the road.

As per the authority, there are three lanes, including a reversible lane, on the six-meter-wide road.