Beijing or Bus(t)

By Dan Estabrook - July 22, 2008 (TNN) Good luck getting a seat on a Beijing bus!  In an attempt to clean its foul skies for the upcoming Olympic Games, the Chinese government has imposed vehicle restrictions to reduce traffic and smog from the city's 3.3 million cars. Effective yesterday, the Chinese government is banning odd-numbered plates one day and even-numbered the next, effectively cutting the number of cars on the road in half.  As a result, citizens rushed to acquire bicycles, form carpools, and purchase bus passes.  The program is strict -- violators face a $14 fine, which is considered quite stiff for China.  Buses and subways were packed to the brim on the first day of the ban as millions of commuters utilized alternate transportation. In addition, the government has imposed restrictions on construction, coal burning, and other sources of pollution.  With the goal of "blue sky days," the law seems to be making a difference.  Many residents noted that by dusk on the ban's first day, they noticed a measurable difference in the air quality.  The restriction is in place through the end of the Olympics when business will return to normal. Read the full story here. It is amazing how actions such as a car ban (and high gas prices here in the U.S.) will drive green behavior without much effort on anyone's part.  As a rider of CalTrain (Northern California's commuter train), I have seen a noticeable increase in riders over the summer.  And, no one seems that upset to avoid their usual traffic jams while saving tons of cash in the process.  Why wouldn't China not continue to impose some type of restriction on cars and emissions following the games? I'm not a fan of "restrictions" and "bans" to change behavior, though.  And, if gas prices decrease here over time, we will likely see some commuters return to their driver seats.  One would hope that in the case of both China and the U.S., many commuters would permanently change their behavior and remain with alternative transportation. With this hope in the back of my mind, I do plan to sit back watch the new "blue sky days" of China when the Olympics begin in two weeks. Source: The Associated Press