Transportation Development Transition in China

Key words: 
• transportation infrastructure /
• development transition /
• integrated transportation system /
• impact factor

Abstract:  Scientific development is an invaluable asset to a country. Policies and development modes should be carried out based on
scientific findings not only in industry, but also in transportation infrastructure construction. Building an integrated transportation system,
which is in line with the national requirements of China and supports sustainable socio-economic development, is a key strategic issue
related to building a moderately prosperous society and achieving realistic goals of a medium-level developed country. Based on a
systematic review of the advances in China's transportation infrastructure over the last 60 years, this paper explores the main drivers of
transportation development, including national policy, transportation structure, investment efficiency, and technological innovation.
Analysis shows that China′s comprehensive transportation infrastructure construction since 1949 can be divided into five stages initiated
by these drivers, which correspond to four transition modes: policy transition, structural transition, efficiency transition, and technology
transition. The transition path of China's transportation development shows that the dominant factors have changed, and the interval for
each transition has shortened. With the implementation of the ′12th Five-Year Plan′, China's transportation infrastructure construction is
showing some new characteristics and facing a new development transition. Finally, this paper analyzes the trends in transportation
development in China and concludes that technological innovation will be the main driving force to increase the transportation supply and
service area in the future.