On the Development of Private Cars in Wenzhou

摘要

Wenzhou, a city with strong economic vitality, lies in the southeast coast of China. By the end of 2009, the private car ownership in Wenzhou is 31.95 per hundred house-holds, which ranks high in Zhejiang province and the whole nation as well. The paper analyzes the causes for its rapid private car growth and exposes the consequent problems, such as traffic congestion, parking difficulty and irrational traffic trip structure. For the sake of a better traffic condition, the paper put forward four counter measures: 1) prioritizing the development of urban rail transit and raising the proportion of normal bus transit trips; 2) guiding the use of private cars without restricting private car ownership; 3) reconstructing urban roadspace for (he popularity of private cars; 4) raising the traffic management level. Rapid private car growth is an important symbol of the prosperous life of Wenzhou residents. Only when the problems of private car development are properly settled can we ensure a healthy, ordered and sustainable urban traffic development.