Cars Conquering the Bicycle Kingdom

Last year, China became the world's second-biggest car market, behind the United States. In Beijing alone, there are 1,000 new cars on the streets every day.

As a result, bicycles are increasingly being squeezed to the margins. The streets are choked with traffic and automobile fumes. New roads are sometimes built without any bike lanes. Hundreds of bicyclists are killed in collisions with cars every year.

Pedal power has become so life-threatening that many Chinese have abandoned their bicycles.

All of this is provoking a backlash across China. A movement isemerging to promote the rights of bicyclists. Environmentalists arecalling for bike lanes to be restored and expanded. Newspapers arecrusading on behalf of bicyclists, investigating the scandal of roadswithout bike lanes.