Beijing Expands Subway Network, Implements Targeted Controls to Ease Traffic

Beijing transport authorities have outlined steps under the 2025 Comprehensive Traffic Management Action Plan to address daily movement across the city. The plan lists 32 key tasks that include extensions to subway lines and additional parking capacity in central areas.

Subway System as Primary Option

The city operates 29 subway lines that serve as the main form of transportation during peak periods. Officials have noted the role of new segments on Line 17 and Line 6 extensions in the action plan as part of efforts to shift commuters away from roads. These additions build on an existing network that already handles high volumes inside the 5th Ring Road.

License Plate Restrictions and Rush Hour Patterns

Authorities enforced license plate-based rules from March 30 to June 28, 2026, limiting vehicle entry inside the 5th Ring Road between 7:00 and 20:00 according to the last digit of plates. The schedule assigned specific pairs of digits to each weekday. This measure addressed congestion that reaches an average of 100 minutes on weekdays, a figure recorded in the first half of 2025 when the city had roughly 6 million vehicles serving a population of 22 million. Peak periods occur daily from 6:30 to 9:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM, with speeds often reduced to 10 to 15 mph.

Parking Additions and Next Steps

The action plan also calls for 35,000 new downtown parking spaces. Officials have described these combined measures as responses to the volume of vehicles on roads during restricted hours. The plan continues to guide further work on subway segments and parking supply without a fixed completion date listed in current documents.