Bentley CUBE used to plan new rail line in Beijing

Bentley CUBE has been used to design a new rail infrastructure in Beijing, in an aim to reduce carbon emissions and improve the air quality for those who live there.

Strong public transportation options are a must for thriving cities – they improve the quality of
life for residents while greatly lessening the need for carbon-emitting private vehicles and
reducing other atmospheric pollutants that directly impact public health. But in the recent past,
the northeast part of Chaoyang District, Beijing did not have sufficient public transportation
options, despite few people owning cars, leaving resident travel needs unmet. To address the
problem, Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design, in a partnership with five other
institutes, began developing multiple rail lines and two subway stations for the district. In the
process, the organisation wants to promote an overall transformation and rebirth of the project
area, as well as encourage various modes of green transportation, including the use of bicycles.

Seeking optimal rail placement
The design team knew that the new transportation system had to be intelligently designed.
Incorrectly placing the tracks and stations could discourage their use, causing frustrated travellers
to continue to rely on carbon-intensive and more polluting forms of transportation. They also
needed to create a plan that encouraged the use of bicycles and other green modes of
transportation. To meet all project goals, the team needed to ensure the project would be utilised
by analysing and connecting various modes of travel to and from the rail system, as well as
forecasting travel demand.

Analysing traffic for informed design
The team determined they could calculate the demand for rail transit and predict traffic flow with
different traffic modes by using CUBE. Within the application, they determined the total travel
volume, distribution, and mode of transportation to, from, and within the district, along with the
transportation connection needs between stations. Based on that analysis, the design team
determined how to build the rail transit micro-centre demonstration area, as well as how to
schedule shared bicycles, mini-buses, shared cars, and other rail transit connection modes. After
the initial analysis, the team used CUBE for additional, automated analyses that considers land
use and population changes, helping to fine-tune connecting transportation as needed.

Intelligent design reduces pollutants
By basing the design and layout of the rail lines and station on predicted demand, the design
team created a smart travel system that can reach the entire area within 10 minutes, improving
travel efficiency by 15%. Encouraging the use of the rail lines, as well as planning and providing
connections to lower and zero-carbon-emitting and polluting modes of transportation to final
destinations, will significantly reduce the use of carbon-emitting and less polluting vehicles
while easing navigation through the city and improving health. The rail system also incorporates
energy storage facilities to balance power supply and demand, further improving energy
efficiency.

“By using CUBE software to analyse the traffic flow, the project provided a strong basis
for the planning and construction of transportation infrastructure and the arrangement of public
transportation capacity for the rail micro-centres,” Tong Sheng, Smart City Planner, Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning & Design. “The system provides scientific data prediction and judgment for the construction of the rail transit micro-center demonstration area, scheduling shared bicycles, mini-buses, shared cars, and other rail transit connection modes.”

Outcomes

• The rail design can reach the entire area within 10 minutes, improving travel efficiency
  by 15%.
• Encouraging the use of the rail lines, as well as providing connections to lower-carbon
  transportation modes and encouraging the use of bicycles, will significantly reduce the
  use of carbon-emitting vehicles and atmospheric pollutants while easing navigation
  through the city.
• The rail system also incorporates energy storage facilities to balance power supply and
  demand, further improving energy efficiency.