Impact of 2008 Olympic Games on Urban Transportation and it´s Development Strategies in Beijing

When Beijing was awarded to host the 2008 Olympic Games on July 13, 2001, it not only marked the long expected victory for the Chinese capital to host the international event for the first time, but also opened a wide gate for urban transportation investment. As one of the most populated cities in the world, Beijing has already facing enormous challenges to transport the 12.5 million permanent residents and large number of visitors to and from work, shopping and recreational activities. During the anticipated two plus weeks of Olympic Games, hundreds of thousands of spectators, athletes, journalists and staff will flood to the city and fill every single corner of the sport venues and other activity centers. There is no doubt that on-time, orderly, and safely transporting these large amount people will create a huge burden on the urban transportation system in Beijing. This paper anticipates the potential challenges brought by the Olympic Games in addition to the existing traffic congestions in Beijing. Then, it presents the transportation development strategies and a few selected major investment projects in preparation for the Olympic Games. It also provides an early evaluation of the effectiveness of these development strategies and potential impact of the massive investment on city infrastructure. Potential areas that need further work to be fully prepared for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are also indicated.