In the southeast region of China, there is a city which is not like the China that we commonly know: full of smog and heavily populated. Xiamen in the province of Fujian is exceptional because the people prefer to use bikes over cars.
That is why when the Xiamen Bicycle Skyway was built, the city cemented its reputation away from the stereotypical China. Residents there have the option to travel by bike on an elevated cycleway.
Photo via Dissing+Weitling
Considered to be the world’s longest elevated cycle path, Xiamen Bicycle Skyway boasts of a 7.6-kilometer long skyway covering five major residential areas and three business centers in the city. The aerial skyway sits below Xiamen’s existing overhead bus transport system, and hover nearly 17 feet above the road.
It is an efficient transport option: with its 4.8 width, it is capable of handling 2,023 bikes at a time, and joins up with 11 bus stations and 2 subway stations.
Photo via Dissing+Weitling
Bikes traversing the Xiamen Bicycle Skyway can stop when needed as parking space is provided. People who do not have bikes can still use the facility only if they hire rides available in the area.
The design and construction of this structure took only six months. It was completed in February 2017.
Photo via Dissing+Weitling
Video by Dezeen
Its designer, Danish architects Dissing+Weitling, said through its CEO Steen Savery Trojaborg that they incorporated large loops to keep the path at a continuous, low elevation. The lanes are weave through the city.
“Good infrastructure is all about accessibility, mobility, and connectivity … while adding something extra to a city’s identity or creating a more vibrant and enjoyable urban space,” Trojaborg said. The CEO said this in relation to the common notion that urban infrastructure still prioritizes the needs of cars.
But it’s not only Xiamen that bikes are being promoted. The same design firm is also behind Copenhagen’s bike bridge called Cycle Snake, or locally Cykelslangen, which is a two-lane elevated orange skyway. This is ideal for Copenhageners because their preferred method of transportation is the bike.
Source: Business Insider
