The Universiade track starts from the Universiade Park in Longgang and is planned to stretch to Xianhu Botanical Garden in Luohu District.(Photo:Guangzhou Daily)
Residents were invited to take a look at a brand new, as-yet unfinished hiking and cycling track in Longgang District yesterday.(Photo:Guangzhou Daily)
Residents were invited to take a look at a brand new, as-yet unfinished hiking and cycling track in Longgang District yesterday (Aug 4).
Workers are putting the finishing touches to a 2.9-kilometer section of the Universiade track, which starts from the Universiade Park in Longgang and is planned to stretch to Xianhu Botanical Garden in Luohu District before August next year.
The paved track is 2.5 meters wide and skirts Shenxianling Reservoir.
"I have heard a lot about these green tracks from media reports, but this is my first time I've seen one. It's really great," said one resident named Wu, visiting the track with her husband at the invitation of the city's environmental protection commission.
Zhu Gaohong, a Ph. D. with the commission's planning department, said the Universide track will be flanked with colorful rest stations at regular intervals.
Bicycle hire stations and benches will also be installed along the track, Zhu said.
Residents invited to take a sneak peek gave suggestions on the development of the tracks.
"There should be parking lots at the ends of the tracks so we can drive to them," said Yin Jianping from Luohu, accompanied by his 6-year-old son.
Yin also recommended adding more greenery and trash recycling facilities along the tracks.
"Most of the tracks are located in remote and sparsely populated areas, so safety is also a concern. Maybe security guards are needed to patrol the tracks," he added.
For another visitor, Wang, the green tracks provide another option for leisure activities.
"Each weekend, our parks are crowded with people, leaving little space for relaxation. These tracks will be a perfect substitute," Wang said.
A 7.5-kilometer loop line of the Universiade track circling Longkou Reservoir has been completed, on which over 10,000 residents will be invited for a cycling tour Sunday, National Fitness Day.
The city plans to complete 300 kilometers of hiking and cycling tracks this year, according to the urban management bureau. The tracks are part of a Guangdong program to build a network of walking and cycling tracks connecting Pearl River Delta cities, to be finished by 2012.
A 10-kilometer-long track connecting Meilin'ao in Futian and Changlingpo in Nanshan has been completed.
(By Li Hao)
