From AP via China Daily (link):
Beijing is drafting contingency plans to alleviate the city’s smothering traffic and smog during the 2008 Olympics. Jiang Xiaoyu, a vice-president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, said Thursday that partial traffic bans and special lanes for Olympic traffic on some roadways are already being planned. He said other measures are under consideration.
Jiang did not elaborate, but committee officials have privately said possible contingencies include an extended holiday for the Chinese capital’s huge government work force and limiting city residents to driving their cars every other day.
Beijing dropped from fourth to 15th place in a Chinese survey of livable cities this year, in part because of pollution and traffic. The city has 7,000 building sites, many of them being rushed to completion ahead of the Olympics. A relay marathon went ahead last month despite hazardous smog. Beijing’s mayor regularly cites air pollution, traffic and water shortages as among his gravest problems.
See also CCTV’s “Beijing traffic” (link); – China Economic Net’s “Survey on Beijing traffic” (link)