A short ride to clean, better life and future

The Beijing municipal government is trying to ease traffic jams by imposing congestion fees on drivers. Since many are opposed to the move, the Beijing authorities should encourage more people to ride bicycles, because it is the best way to reduce the use of cars.

Cars are better than bikes, but not if everyone has one on the road at the same time. The visual rhythm of thousands of cyclists on Beijing streets in 1981 still lingers in my mind, contrasted against today's increasingly untenable traffic jams. Average speeds to destination are down. Young careerists arrive at work already frazzled by the unpleasant brushes with freeway crawl and road rage.

Urban planners in cities like Beijing want to emulate other cities that have admirable biking policies. A survey of the top 20 cities with the best bike systems shows Europe as the leader, with Japan as the runner-up. Beijing and other North China cities didn't fare well in the rankings, even though China is known as a bicycle-friendly country.