Bangladesh, May 2 -- At a busy intersection near schools and a nursing home in Shanghai, congestion and safety risks had long troubled residents, particularly during the morning rush. There was no dedicated left-turn signal, and vehicles turning left would block oncoming traffic, creating bottlenecks and raising the risk of accidents.

A member of the district committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference noticed the issue during her daily commute. What followed, officials say, is a textbook example of how China's "whole-process people's democracy" functions in practice.

She raised the issue with local traffic police and convened consultations involving officials and community stakeholders. A left-turn traffic ligh...