Traffic Safety Knowledge Promotion Enters Classrooms (Photo provided by the Traffic Management Detachment of Lanzhou Public Security Bureau)

　　In Lanzhou, the Golden City, zebra crossings are no longer just cold traffic signs, but heartwarming bonds that convey warmth and highlight civilization. Since its official launch in 2017, the "Courteous Lanzhou" civilized traffic volunteer service project has taken root in the city. Taking zebra crossings as a carrier of civilization, it has joined forces with the whole society to deepen the development of traffic civilization. With ten years of perseverance, it has made "vehicles yield to pedestrians and pedestrians walk quickly" a common sight on the streets, and turned courteous behavior into Lanzhou's most touching urban calling card.

　　Voluntary watchfulness builds a wall of civilization at intersections

　　In the early morning streets of Lanzhou, traffic begins to pick up. At various key intersections across the city, volunteers of the "Civilization Watch Posts" have already taken their positions to start a day of civilization guidance services. Led by the traffic management department of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau, this volunteer team consists of drivers, students, food delivery riders, citizens and other groups. They stand guard year-round at crosswalks, safeguarding pedestrians' travel safety with gentle reminders and sincere praise.

　　Volunteers held custom-made "thumbs-up signs" and gave thumbs-up gestures to vehicles that took the initiative to stop and yield, conveying respect and gratitude through simple actions. For vehicles that failed to yield to pedestrians, volunteers stepped forward to offer gentle persuasion, patiently explaining traffic rules and the importance of yielding, replacing rigid lectures with warmth. Meanwhile, volunteers carefully guided pedestrians to cross the zebra crossing in a concentrated and swift manner, promptly reminding "phone addicts" to put down their phones and pay attention to road conditions. They repeatedly advocated the travel concept of "vehicles yield to pedestrians, pedestrians cross quickly", allowing a harmonious and orderly traffic understanding to quietly take shape at intersections. Their day-to-day perseverance filled every intersection with warmth and built the first line of defense for urban traffic civilization.

　　Diverse publicity allows the concept of civilization to permeate thousands of households

　　Cultivation of civility begins with publicity. To deeply ingrain the concept of civilized courtesy in people's minds, the project has elaborately created a "Road Civility Classroom", establishing a publicity and education system that achieves full coverage both online and offline as well as among all groups of people. This promotes the concept of civilized traffic to enter campuses, enterprises and communities, and integrate into the daily lives of citizens.

　　Online, the new media column "Xiaolei Road 'Emergency Room'" created by the internet-famous traffic police officer has become an instant hit. Using plain language and vivid real-life cases, it explains crosswalk rules and the dangers of uncivilized traffic behaviors, attracting widespread public attention. Offline, the publicity team has visited campuses to hold activities such as "Little Safety Officers" and "Small Hands Holding Big Hands", enabling children to learn traffic safety knowledge, act as family civilization supervisors, and encourage parents to abide by traffic rules together. They have also provided special training at online car-hailing companies, taxi companies, freight enterprises and public transport companies, incorporated courteous driving into corporate performance assessments, and urged the transportation industry to take the lead in practicing civilized yielding. For the elderly, safety risks of jaywalking and ignoring crosswalks are popularized through accident case videos and face-to-face lectures. In addition, the project encourages citizens to report uncivilized traffic behaviors via "casual snapshots" in exchange for corresponding rewards, fostering a sound atmosphere of nationwide participation, co-governance and shared benefits.

　　Innovation empowers, and technology illuminates the civilized zebra crossing

　　While adhering to traditional voluntary services, the project has continuously pursued innovation and breakthroughs, integrating technology with civilization to create distinctive, safe and heartwarming zebra crossings, making urban transportation more warm and intelligent.

　　In 2022, the 3D three-dimensional zebra crossings at Zhongshan Bridge and West Square Crossing made a stunning debut. The zebra crossing at Zhongshan Bridge incorporated elements of "Long Xiaofei", Gansu's Civilization Image Ambassador, while the one at West Square Crossing featured three-dimensional lines paired with heart-shaped patterns, making it both eye-catching and heartwarming. Made of special reflective materials, they remained clearly visible at night. In 2025, holographic zebra crossings were installed at key intersections including Zhongshan Bridge, Yongchang Road and Dazhong Lane, which linked up in real time with traffic signals and automatically changed colors with traffic lights, boasting a strong sense of technology and greatly improving pedestrian safety when crossing the road. For road sections with heavy traffic and fast-moving vehicles at night, high-brightness reflective road studs were installed in front of zebra crossings under the Xiaoxihu Overpass on North Binhe Road and near the Yellow River Mother sculpture on South Binhe Road. Their strong reflective light constantly reminded drivers to slow down and give way, lighting up citizens' night journeys. Meanwhile, the project established a circular commendation mechanism for "Courtesy Stars", regularly selecting outstanding courteous drivers and most beautiful volunteers, publicly commending them and granting material rewards. This provided positive incentives for civilized behaviors and fostered a fine social atmosphere of advocating virtue and kindness.

　　Brands unite, and the voice of courtesy resonates throughout the Golden City

　　To expand the project's influence and spread the spirit of civilized courtesy throughout every street and alley, the project has deeply cultivated brand communication, launched a series of highly influential promotional activities and premium content, and made the concept of civility deeply rooted in people's hearts.

　　The original promotional video *You Are in Lanzhou, "Yielding" for Civility* won the gold award at the Provincial Civilized Etiquette Project Creative Competition. Sung with deep feeling by a local police camp singer, the music video showcases warm moments at zebra crossings, with lyrics closely centered on the theme of yielding and giving way. It has been widely circulated across major platforms. The activity "Searching for You Who Travel Civilly" garnered 1.2 million views and over 300,000 votes and likes. The Douyin challenge "Yielding with Courtesy, Civilized Lanzhou" achieved nearly 3 million views. A series of ongoing events, including the selection of "Courtesy Stars" and "Encountering Etiquette on the Road · Thumbs Up for Buses", have drawn nationwide public participation. Promotional content has been delivered through multiple channels such as media platforms, cinemas, and building elevators, allowing the voice of civilized yielding to permeate every corner of the city.

　　After a decade of dedicated efforts, remarkable achievements have been made. Today, the rate of traffic accidents related to crosswalks in Lanzhou has dropped significantly. A simple act of yielding at the crosswalk or a gesture of appreciation has defused road rage and brought people closer together, making civilized courtesy a common practice. Going forward, Lanzhou's "Courteous Lanzhou" civilized traffic volunteer service program will continue to deepen its work, continuously enhance empowerment through technology, expand the volunteer force, and foster a stronger promotional atmosphere. It is hoped that more citizens will join the ranks of civilized courtesy, making Lanzhou, the riverside city by the Yellow River, safer through courtesy and more brilliant through civilization! (By Zhang Dan, reporter of this newspaper)