Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

As our own economic-recovery package moves through Congress, Streetsblog Network member Stimulus Bike looks at the massive stimulus spending on transportation being rolled out in China, which was analyzed in a recent New York Times article. Much of China's money is going to high-speed rail, according to the Times:

3015770446_12d50b9a09.jpgStill on the bike in Beijing. Photo by Laura Conaway.

China will spend $88 billion constructing intercity rail lines, the
highest priority in the plan. It spent $44 billion last year and just $12 billion as recently as 2004, said John Scales, the transport coordinator for China at the World Bank....

Feng Fei, the director general of industrial economics at the policy research unit of China’s cabinet, the State Council, said that steep increases in railroad investments would create lasting benefits. The goal is to slow China’s dependence on personal cars and imported oil, to reduce air pollution and to relieve the annual shortage of seats on trains during Chinese New Year, when millions of people visit their families, he said.

Stimulus Bike also makes the point that despite the recent rise of the car in China, the nation's people still rely heavily on bicycles for transportation. Obviously, the differences between our nations are many, but can we take some lessons from China's vision for the future of mobility?

Speaking of bicycles as transportation, here are some hopeful signs on that front from elsewhere around the network: According to Pennsylvania blog Walk and Bike Berks County, a township planning commission in Denver, PA, is calling for developers of a new shopping center to provide "bicycle racks around the parking lot to accommodate ...families who rely on bicycles for transportation." Kudos to the planning commission for recognizing that families can rely on bicycles for transportation.

Also, in Detroit, M-Bike.org notes that the city's new mayor, Ken Cockrel -- a cyclist who is committed to a green agenda -- has fundamentally changed the city's attitude toward bikes for the better. Cockrel came to office after the previous scandal-plagued mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, resigned. He'll be running for election in a special primary this spring, and it sounds like he's got a good shot at the livable streets vote.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

And the Winner Is…: Streetsblog’s New Video Team Honored with Deadline Club Award

Streetsblog's social media team, led by Engagement Editor Emily Lipstein, received the Deadline Club's award for digital video reporting on Thursday night.

Friday Video: The ‘Clear’ Benefits of Daylighting

The doyen of daylighting is back with a new video.

May 16, 2025

How One Anti-Gov’t Republican Signed onto a Street Safety Bill to Rein in Reckless Drivers

State Sen. Anthony Palumbo went from "government overreach" to reaching across the aisle in a single day.

May 16, 2025

‘All in the Family’: NYPD Commissioner and Power-Broker Mom Are Both Crusading Against E-Bikes

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has justified her criminal crackdown on cycling by saying that complaints about cyclists are the most frequent concerns she hears. Such complaints could be coming from inside the house.

May 16, 2025

Puddles Plague Hudson River Greenway As Rain Batters NYC

Greenway cyclists face dangerous conditions when it rains — as Streetsblog observed this week in Manhattan.

May 16, 2025
See all posts