2.What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
“The roads of the Chinese capital carry one-tenth of the country’s cars, but the city is home to only one-hundredth of its population. As a result, Beijing’s arteries are clogged well beyond the morning and evening rush hours.”
“Beijing successfully limited car transportation around the Olympic Games with periodic driving bans, which were extended in a milder version beyond the Games. However, such measures do not help in the long run: new cars fill up the road and car drivers even buy second vehicles to circumvent the driving ban. Air pollution is also improved, in relative terms, by prohibiting the use of older, more polluting vehicles. However, here symptoms are treated while the underlying situation degrades due to increasing motorisation.”
3.What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
1)
The rapid number of automobile growth each year is a nightmare for city of Beijing. This rapid growth results in dramatic damage cost on air pollution, time lost for bus passengers caught in congestion and accidents and noise pollution. The money in aggregate accounts for 7.5% of the total Beijing GDP in 2005. The author also states that in order to tackle the crisis; the government should encourage more public transportation, excluding lanes for bicycles and so on.
2)
Providing specific number of damage cost due to Beijing’s heavy traffic. “. Even using a very conservative estimate, congestion and air pollution each account for around 20 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) each year. The time lost for bus passengers caught in congestion adds another 6 billion yuan (US$877 million), even though bus patrons usually value time less than do car drivers. Accidents and noise pollution are relatively small costs, each around 1 billion yuan (US$146 million). Surprisingly, climate-change damage costs are dwarfed by congestion and air pollution costs for Beijing citizens, and amount to 1.4 billion yuan (US$205 million).”
The author provides an article posted on Chinadialogue by Alex Pasternack to discuss possible methods to solve Beijing’s traffic nightmare (https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/654-Beijing-s-Olympic-sized-traffic-problem). The article concludes that “smart growth is the way forward: new satellite towns have to be planned around public transit; land use, work and living need to be reorganised around travelling shorter distances. However, the existing infrastructure of broad arteries, superblocks and commuter towns far away from Beijing’s Central Business District can not simply be undone.”
The article also introduces a definition—“city toll”; which is that polluters pay a fee that matches mobility demand with the social costs of car transportation. This action would reduce one quarter of the car traffic by expectation.
Furthermore, the author mentioned that the subway system will be extended from 200 km to 560 km by 2015; which support the idea of Beijing government encouraging public transportation.
4.What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
Alex Pasternack, a freelance writer based in Beijing, is a correspondent for green lifestyle website treehugger.com. This article originally appeared in that's Beijing magazine.
5.What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
It is argued that mitigating climate is not just the responsibility of the Beijing government, but also for car drivers who want to enjoy relatively free road and for citizens who will love the blue sky. In addition, the government is responsible for discourage private car usage through promulgating regulations.
6.How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
The air pollution due to car emission increases the possible for citizens in Beijing getting asthma and lung cancer. More than 1,000 people are killed every year after being hit by cars. Broad arteries, physical barriers that impede their mobility, now encircle pedestrians and cyclists.
7.What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
The time and money lost in congestion is unbelievably immense. I was always considering the environmental impact instead of the inconvenience caused by large volume of traffic in Beijing.
The “city toll” is also a new term for me as a non-Beijing citizen. I hope that this “city toll” can be applied to other Chinese cities with huge population in order to reduce the potential transportation crisis.
I have experienced the “crowdedness” of Beijing subway and I do not anticipate a huge improve after the subway line expansion in Beijing since it only increases the total distance instead of adding lines.
1. Full citation and link.
Creutzig Felix, Fixing Beijing’s Transport Nightmare, 2009.
https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/2905-Fixing-Beijing-s-transport-nightmare
2. What two (or more) quotes capture the message of the article?
“The roads of the Chinese capital carry one-tenth of the country’s cars, but the city is home to only one-hundredth of its population. As a result, Beijing’s arteries are clogged well beyond the morning and evening rush hours.”
“Beijing successfully limited car transportation around the Olympic Games with periodic driving bans, which were extended in a milder version beyond the Games. However, such measures do not help in the long run: new cars fill up the road and car drivers even buy second vehicles to circumvent the driving ban. Air pollution is also improved, in relative terms, by prohibiting the use of older, more polluting vehicles. However, here symptoms are treated while the underlying situation degrades due to increasing motorisation.”
3. What is the main point of the article, and how is it supported?
1)
The rapid number of automobile growth each year is a nightmare for city of Beijing. This rapid growth results in dramatic damage cost on air pollution, time lost for bus passengers caught in congestion and accidents and noise pollution. The money in aggregate accounts for 7.5% of the total Beijing GDP in 2005. The author also states that in order to tackle the crisis; the government should encourage more public transportation, excluding lanes for bicycles and so on.
2)
Providing specific number of damage cost due to Beijing’s heavy traffic. “. Even using a very conservative estimate, congestion and air pollution each account for around 20 billion yuan (US$2.9 billion) each year. The time lost for bus passengers caught in congestion adds another 6 billion yuan (US$877 million), even though bus patrons usually value time less than do car drivers. Accidents and noise pollution are relatively small costs, each around 1 billion yuan (US$146 million). Surprisingly, climate-change damage costs are dwarfed by congestion and air pollution costs for Beijing citizens, and amount to 1.4 billion yuan (US$205 million).”
The author provides an article posted on Chinadialogue by Alex Pasternack to discuss possible methods to solve Beijing’s traffic nightmare (https://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/654-Beijing-s-Olympic-sized-traffic-problem). The article concludes that “smart growth is the way forward: new satellite towns have to be planned around public transit; land use, work and living need to be reorganised around travelling shorter distances. However, the existing infrastructure of broad arteries, superblocks and commuter towns far away from Beijing’s Central Business District can not simply be undone.”
The article also introduces a definition—“city toll”; which is that polluters pay a fee that matches mobility demand with the social costs of car transportation. This action would reduce one quarter of the car traffic by expectation.
Furthermore, the author mentioned that the subway system will be extended from 200 km to 560 km by 2015; which support the idea of Beijing government encouraging public transportation.
4. What actors (individuals or organizations) are referred to? (Provide names and short descriptions.)
Alex Pasternack, a freelance writer based in Beijing, is a correspondent for green lifestyle website treehugger.com. This article originally appeared in that's Beijing magazine.
5. What kind of causation or responsibility is argued or implied in the article?
It is argued that mitigating climate is not just the responsibility of the Beijing government, but also for car drivers who want to enjoy relatively free road and for citizens who will love the blue sky. In addition, the government is responsible for discourage private car usage through promulgating regulations.
6. How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
The air pollution due to car emission increases the possible for citizens in Beijing getting asthma and lung cancer. More than 1,000 people are killed every year after being hit by cars. Broad arteries, physical barriers that impede their mobility, now encircle pedestrians and cyclists.
7. What three points, details or references from the article did you follow up on to advance your understanding of the issued and actors described in the article?
The time and money lost in congestion is unbelievably immense. I was always considering the environmental impact instead of the inconvenience caused by large volume of traffic in Beijing.
The “city toll” is also a new term for me as a non-Beijing citizen. I hope that this “city toll” can be applied to other Chinese cities with huge population in order to reduce the potential transportation crisis.
I have experienced the “crowdedness” of Beijing subway and I do not anticipate a huge improve after the subway line expansion in Beijing since it only increases the total distance instead of adding lines.