Hazardous levels of air pollution, severe traffic congestion, and urbanization are daily topics of conversation across China, boosting interest in a new report to which ITDP contributed. Top China government officials, including the Premier Li Keqiang and the State Council, were pleased to receive the findings of a 9-month joint European Commission-Government of China study on Green Urban Transport. ITDP Managing Director for Policy and Founder, Michael Replogle joined a small team of experts to produce the report, which contains recommendations for improving financing and planning of public and non-motorized transport and traffic management.

Sponsored by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), the study recommends that the Chinese central government enhance local capacity to finance public transport and redirect a portion of central government taxes. Specifically, the report suggests using motor fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, which are currently used for intercity road construction, towards financing green urban transport, bolstering planning regulations to ensure cost-effective transport investments, and inter-agency coordination. It draws attention to international best practices that can be adapted to the Chinese context, including better parking management and pricing, road user charging, and transport system performance monitoring, reporting, and public engagement. It highlights the importance of giving priority to walking, cycling, public transport, demand management, and transit-oriented development mobility planning and investment.