Beijing’s local standards are set to be released, making these features the “standard equipment” for service areas and parking zones.

Whether on expressways or ordinary national and municipal roads, service areas and parking areas will be equipped with parking lots, charging stations, accessible restrooms, and nursing rooms, among other facilities. “Standard configuration.” According to reports, the draft of Beijing’s local standard, “Land Use Standards for Auxiliary Facilities on Arterial Highways,” has been posted on the website of the Municipal Market Supervision Administration for public consultation and feedback.

According to the draft for public comment, facilities such as parking lots, charging stations, and restrooms will be required at service areas and parking areas along expressways, ordinary national highways, and ordinary urban roads. “Standard configuration.” Service areas along expressways, ordinary national highways, and urban roads should also be equipped with rest areas, convenience stores, information services, and other facilities. The reporter noted that the draft for public comment specifically stipulates that, in addition to standard public restrooms, third‑gender restrooms and nursing rooms must also be provided.

How far apart can a service area be located? In this regard, the draft for public comment stipulates that the average spacing between highway service areas should not exceed 50 kilometers. Parking areas may be located one or more times between service areas, with an average spacing of 15 to 25 kilometers between parking areas and service areas, and between parking areas themselves. For first- and second-class highways, the average spacing between service areas and parking areas should be 30 to 40 kilometers, and shall not exceed 50 kilometers. On mountainous tourist roads, the average spacing of service facilities should be 25 kilometers.

The appropriate scale of roadside service facilities will be primarily determined by their functional requirements. For example, for a two-way, eight-lane expressway, the land area allocated to a service area should not exceed… 9.20 hectares; the land area for a six-lane‑per‑direction highway service area should not exceed 8.25 hectares; the land area for a four-lane‑per‑direction highway service area should not exceed 6.00 hectares. The floor area of a highway rest area should be between 200 and 450 square meters.

In addition to service facilities, trunk highways should also be equipped with comprehensive inspection stations, maintenance work zones, and emergency reserve points. The draft for public comment proposes that trunk highways within Beijing’s administrative boundaries that connect with neighboring provinces and municipalities should be fitted with comprehensive inspection station management facilities, preferably located on the inbound approach to Beijing. These facilities typically provide specialized functions such as weight‑and‑dimension enforcement, traffic management, public security, transport administration, road administration, animal and plant quarantine, forestry oversight, environmental protection, and armed police services. Such management facilities should ideally be sited within Beijing’s urban area; however, under challenging conditions, they may also be located outside the city limits. The draft further specifies that comprehensive inspection station management facilities must include a detour‑and‑return lane. 。