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Subway Nervous System

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A detail of a bus sign in southeast Beijing, and a danchengpiao (单程票: single journey ticket) for the subway. With its increasing sprawl and traffic, Beijing reminds me so much of my hometown, Los Angeles, except for one key issue: public transportation. Beijing’s public transportation, soon to boast the largest subway network in the world, is incredibly clear. The subway stops are announced in both English and Chinese, and if you can competently read and understand Chinese, you can navigate the bus system quite well too.

Been thinking a lot about what makes the system so much more intuitive. Even in my hometown I struggle with the bus system, but in a city I’ve just moved to, I’m regularly navigating a complicated network without needing to reference a map. One key trick: the buses all clearly indicate where they’re coming up on a subway stop. Gets me thinking about the subway system as an anchor, a central nerous system of a city’s public transport, with the buses serving as the periphery.

More thoughts from me for the Huffington Post on Beijing’s subway system.


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