Yichang reforms on-street parking along BRT corridor

500 setback parking spaces eliminated

13 September 2015

Yichang has in recent months implemented a major on-street parking reform program focused along the BRT corridor in Dongshan Avenue. Roughly half of the 1,000 off-street parking spaces along the BRT corridor have been removed (see photos below), and the remaining setback parking is now better managed to eliminate or minimize encroachment on pedestrian and bicycle facilities. (Setback parking defined as parking in the area between the edge of the walkway and the building frontage. It does not include parking on the walkway, which is illegal.)

Yichang's approach to on-street parking reform focused along the BRT corridor is, to our knowledge, the first such systematic approach to implementing corridor-wide on-street parking improvements as part of a new BRT system. This is an approach which has been supported and encouraged by Far East Mobility experts working for ITDP during 2013-2015, with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Oak Foundation. Phase 1 of the BRT system opened in July 2015.

Setback and on-street parking reforms is critical to the achievement of other station area improvements. For example, improvements to walkways, bike lanes or plazas are of no practical utility if the space is later simply occupied by parked cars. The impressive on-street parking reform measures achieved along the BRT corridor in Yichang are in large part due to the strong support and guidance of the vice mayor who is in charge of enforcement by the traffic police and has played a key role in ensuring the BRT system is viewed as an 'urban development corridor'.


Dongshan Avenue BRT corridor setback parking improvements in the city center: parking on setbacks removed in many locations.
Parking improvements at Guoyuan Lu and Shanzhuang Lu BRT station areas along the BRT corridor.
Locations along the BRT corridor where setback parking was removed.
Parking improvements at Shanzhuang Lu BRT station area along the BRT corridor.
Parking improvements at Guoyuan Lu BRT station area along the BRT corridor.
Parking improvements at Lvluo Lu BRT station area along the BRT corridor.


In places were setback parking is retained, management has been improved and (in many places) design measures implemented in order to prevent encroachment on walkways and bike lanes.