China Inaugurates Longest Elevated Cycling Path in Xiamen

China has successfully built the longest elevated cycling path in the world as proposed by its mid school students in Xiamen some years ago. The path is five-mile long and 16-feet wide specifically designed for bicycle riding in the Chinese city.

Following a period of six years of design and construction, the longest elevated cycling path has opened for trial use. It will remain open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. throughout the trial period. The trial phase will include five major residential complexes of Xiamen along with the city's three business centers. As already mentioned, the path extends to five miles, which makes it the most elevated bike path across the globe. The pathway has 11 exits that connect six public transit hubs of the nation.

Xiamen City Government has promoted China's longest elevated cycling path to make sure the public gets a new sustainable transportation system. The path has been designed to control the traffic issues across the city. A Danish firm, Dissing + Weitling, designed the construction of the pathway. It is the same company that built "Bicycle Snake" in Copenhagen in 2014.

The architects from the Danish construction company, according to Arch Daily, said that the cycling path was made to "prioritize green alternatives, such as the bicycle, instead of the automobile." The route has been constructed such that it can accommodate almost 2,023 cyclists per hour. Those who do not own a bicycle can also experience a ride on the longest elevated cycling path as there are about 300 hire bikes available for them.

It was eight years ago when middle school students of the city proposed a new architectural design for a cycling path. The students proposed an aerial bike lane for Xiamen, which will remain suspended under an elevated road to ensure bus rapid transit. It was then when China decided to provide a shape to the proposal and build the proposed pathway.

In 2014, British architect Lord Norman Foster decided to a construct a 136-mile collection of cycling paths. He proposed a design according to which the paths would run alongside rail lines in London. The pathway would aim at having 12,000 cyclists per hour. However, the construction is expected to take a considerable time to complete.