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Category: Experience

The Transportation Situation: China vs US

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Chinese travelers and students are usually in for a shock the first time they board public or local transportation in the US. Especially when it comes to accessibility and pricing, the US’s transportation network appears to be trailing behind China’s. From its abundance of subways to its hoards of buses and taxis, China’s local and public transportation systems are undoubtedly more convenient and present in comparison, but that’s not to say they’re roomier…

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Why So Serious About Public Transit?

Although it might be easy to criticize American public transportation as it lurks in the shadow of China’s comprehensive system, we can’t forget that China’s public transportation is the way it is for a reason. First off, 95% of American households own a car, and 85% of Americans use their car to get to work everyday. Contrastingly, it is estimated that a slim 17% of Chinese households own a car. So, apart from taking a biking or driving a moped, a great majority of Chinese depend on public transportation for their daily commutes. However, this causes most buses and subway cars look more like traveling sardine containers during rush hour.

Secondly, with the exception of gas, most things are great deal cheaper in China than in the US. Operator wages and many other resources aren’t as costly, yielding more affordable public transportation fares. However, because China’s average income is much lower than the US’s, Chinese riders inherently spend a much larger percentage of their income on public/local transportation. 

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Subways, Metros, Trains, Oh My!

Subway systems are a staple in Chinese cities. Extremely cheap to ride, relatively clean, and always surrounded by snack shops, China’s subway systems are not restricted to the country’s few largest cities. Considering that China boasts 61 cities with a population of over one million and the US only offers nine, it makes sense why this is the case. In January, it was announced that an additional 39 metro projects have been approved and will be added to China’s existing 26 systems. Currently the US has nine subway systems. The question of when the next will be constructed has been an ongoing discussion for several years now. In regards to financials, in terms of USD, a typical ride on New York’s subway system will run you about $2.00-3.00, while Beijing’s would cost about $0.30-$0.75

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Busy Buses

       Public buses are another means of daily escort for many Chinese. Bus fare is even cheaper than a subway ticket, often only running riders around $0.10-$0.50, regardless of final destination. Again, this figure exists far cheaper than the US’s whopping $1.50-$2.50 tickets. Chinese bus systems are very far-reaching and are often found in small villages where they would not be in the US.

Beijing also just debuted a second-story bus that glides along tracks located on each side of the road which allows it to straddle the road and bypass traffic. Everyone can only hope that innovations like this will begin to help displace the massive (and I mean massive) crowds that pack China’s current buses. 

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All Hail the Taxi

       Last but not least, when it comes to taxis, China and the US are hardly comparable. A typical fare that would cost around $4.00 in Shanghai would ring up a bill of close to $30 in New York City. Unfortunately, though, in China it’s not uncommon that you run into a taxi driver who refuses you service if your destination is inconvenient for them. This would be a rare occurrence in the US.

Ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft are beginning to drive competition and attack taxi pricing structures in the US, but on average fares still sit significantly higher than those in China. The Chinese ride-sharing app that just pushed Uber out of the country, Didi Dache, just received a $1 billion investment from Apple. Many predict that the ride-hailing app concept will transform the traditional taxi system in China too.