Collaboration of Twin Taipei Cities has reached initial results
Since the co-signing of Big Taipei Golden Twin Cities Collaboration Agreement by New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu and Taipei City mayor Hao Longbin, the twin cities have finished 7 collaboration projects. New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Lee Shuchuan and Taipei City Deputy Mayor Chen Weizen today (2/16) at New Taipei City Government host the second coordinated report and examined progresses of all running collaboration projects.
New Taipei City Deputy Mayor Lee Shuchuan said the twin cities have developed a successful collaboration model through conducting a series of collaboration projects in the past year - including addition of landscape light sculptures to 12 Tamsui River bridges, 2011 New Taipei City Happy Christmas Town, 2012 Taipei City New Year’s Countdown Party, reviewal for cross-city express bus system, establishment of Tamsui River Basin Management Council, school district integration of Chengzheng and Guandu Junior High School, health and medical resource sharing, etc. He added that the two cities will continue coorganizing more mega-events and cooperation plans, propelling construction and development within Big Taipei Metropolitan Area and securing citizen welfare.
More collaboration plans, including a bikeway network, the Big Taipei Rapid Transit System, etc., are also coming along. To provide a more fluent and convenient traffic system, two cities have approved 5 cross-city express bus routes and promised to establish in the future a passenger information system with real-time bus status and traveling time prediction. As to Tamsui River management, the Tamsui River Basin Management Council formed last August is continuing its work on enhancing coordinated dredging, pollution prevention, and watershed management.
Taipei City Deputy Mayor Chen Weizen suggested the two cities to jointly promote free economic demonstration zone. He also reminded that constructions of relevant transportation facilities such as Tamjiang Bridge are of great importance and priority. In his remark on sewage treatment, he said he will summon the environmental resources focus group to address the problem of Bali Sewage Treatment Plant reaching its full processing capacity.
A geography and environmental resources professor also attended today’s meeting to give his report on managing the Tamsui River basin. He suggested integrating data of Tamsui River basin, with the help of cloud technology, to provide a unified database for reference and decision-making by the two city governments. Both Deputy Mayor Lee and Deputy Mayor Chen affirmed such proposal, agreeing that cross-city development should base its foundation on coordinated geographic information.
At the end of the meeting, both deputy mayors encouraged the focus group to keep up their effort to come up with more collaboration plans conducive to the welfare of citizens in Big Taipei Metropolis.