17,000
buses
4.5 billion
passengers per year
Source: Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau.
The Context
Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is the largest city in China and one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. In 2006, the city's population reached 18 million, not including an estimated 5 million unregistered or temporary residents. This means, on average, there are about 2,100 people per square kilometer of the city.
The city has an extensive transportation network, including buses, trolleys, taxis and a subway system. In 2002, the city became the first in the world to open a commercial high-speed Maglev train, which reaches speeds of 430 kilometers per hour.
Working with a commitment from Shanghai’s mayor and party secretary, EMBARQ helped develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) plan for the city, guiding high-level city officials to pursue a state-of-the-art bus system to complement the existing metro and light rail systems. Following the completion of the plan, EMBARQ worked with the city to identify potential bus corridors in the city. Guided by EMBARQ’s work in Shanghai, the city has moved forward with the BRT plan; in 2005, the city installed 26 kilometers of peak-hour bus lanes in downtown. EMBARQ’s transport indicators—first used by city officials to construct Shanghai’s city plan—are now being updated as the city expands so that they can continue to guide policy.
More significantly, the BRT concept has snowballed and now as many as nine cities in China are implementing bus rapid transit systems.
Key Facts
million people
number of public bus lines
million passengers ride the subway and Maglev each day
Source: Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau.
Convenience at a Cost
"I feel like the city has gotten a lot smaller," says Huang Ying, 28, who has seen a lot of changes in her hometown over the past couple of decades. With the recent surge in the number of private cars, taxis and buses, plus a new subway system, Shanghai has grown into a bustling transportation hub. "It's easier to get from place to place."
But the convenience of public transport comes at a price. "It's gotten more crowded, and the air quality has gotten worse because of more cars and factories," says Huang, who commutes by Metro across the river from her home in Pudong to her office in downtown Puxi, where she works as a project coordinator for a London-based marketing consulting firm. "I used to be able to see a lot of blue skies and stars at night; now I don't see any," Huang laments.
Over the past couple of years, she adds, the government has made more of an effort to broadcast public announcements encouraging people to walk, ride their bikes, or drive less. "But most people aren't willing to sacrifice convenience for the sake of the environment."
Related publications
- China Motorization Trends: Policy Options in a World of Transport Challenges
- Urban Transport Options in China: The Challenge to Choose
Charts & graphs
 Car and Two-Wheeler Growth in Shanghai, 1995-2004 |
