(ECNS) -- By 2020, Beijing aims to establish a multi-layer modern transport system to cut downtown average commuting time to less than one hour, says the municipal traffic authority.
From 2004 to 2014, the number of automobiles in the city increased by 3.3 million, a 160 percent increase in a decade. Despite significant developments in public transportation, traffic is still a serious headache for China's capital.
Beijing will tackle transportation difficulties to shorten commuting times. Within a 50-kilometer radius from the center of downtown, Beijing will form a "one-hour traffic circle," making it easier to travel.
The city's plan to establish a modern integrative transport system is in the background of regional integration between Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin, according to Zhou Zhengyu, the commissioner of Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.
The planned system involves more than 200 specific goals and more than 10 systems, including regional and public transportation, as well as pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
With the new system, Beijing's traffic congestion index will be limited to six, a significant drop from eight during rush hour in 2014.
The index rates traffic conditions on a scale of zero to ten, where zero to two indicates smooth traffic; two to four, basically smooth traffic; four to six, mild traffic congestion; six to eight, moderate congestion and eight to 10, heavy congestion.
