New Taipei City promotes “New SkyRider”
Today (2/24), New Taipei City held its first city council meeting after the Chinese New Year break. In the meeting, the Urban and Rural Development Department presented the “New SkyRider” project, detailing the construction of an 8 km suspended bike trail. Mayor Chu indicates “New Skyrider” project will span several city planning zones in the Dahan Creek area. Reaching from the south of the creek to the north, the bike trail will cross into the residential area, and from the residential area, connect to industrial sites. The scenery on both sides of the bike trail will also be reshaped to reflect a more personable and park-like design. The mayor said that this project marks an important milestone in Taiwan’s public transportation. He added that “New SkyRider” will run along-side the nearly-completed new freeway, providing pedestrians and bike riders a new mean of transportation.
In the meeting, the Urban and Rural Development Department reported that the “New SkyRider” will benefit commute, recreation, and the industry. The route will start from the Central Government Collaborative Building in Xinzhuang (at the intersection of Freeway 65 and Xinzhuang Sun Yat-sen Freeway), extend along the side of Freeway 65, cross the Dahan Creek, pass the Nanzai Trench, and end in Tucheng, covering a distance of 8km. Planning is expected to complete by 2015, construction will start in October of 2016, and the first phase of construction will complete by 2018. The first-phase demonstration route will run from the Xinzhuang’s Central Government Collaborative Building to the outer-bank of Dahan Creek. The trail will connect to the bike trail of the park by the creek’s outer bank. The trail will pass through the greenery of the Wenzizhen Zone, MRT-Airport-Express A5 Station, and MRT Xinzhuang Puda Station.
Urban and Rural Development Department indicates that New SkyRider is a safe and convenient trail specifically designed for bicycles. Bicycle is not only a tool of recreation but should be a mode for daily commute. New Taipei City currently has 2.3 million motorcycles. 44% of the citizens ride motorcycles for transportation, producing a yearly 441.6 thousand tons of carbon emission. Removing one motorcycle from the road for a year is equivalent to planting 20 trees. Considering that the population of the Banqiao District is 555,000 (204,000 households) and population of Xinzhuang District is 411,000 (147,000 households), if 10% of the two districts is transformed into bicyclists, 58,000 motorcycles can be removed from the road, reducing carbon emission by 11,136 tons yearly, which is equal to planting 1.16 million trees or the carbon sequestration of 30 Daan Parks.
After hearing the report, Mayor Chu said that Urban and Rural Development Department shows thoughtful initiative in their work of residential planning, urban renewal, and city planning. In terms of residential policies, Mayor Chu said that the department should continue the reconstruction on several fronts and work together with related agencies to complete the construction of more than 7000 units of community residences. With respect to community management and public regulations, the mayor asked that the department consult with the city council and outside agencies.
For urban renewal, Chu Liluan said that efforts here will be private sector driven, and previous progress on simple renewal projects will continue. The mayor hopes that a variety of remodeling projects will accelerate the pace of renewal. Mayor Chu also asked that the Public Works Department work together with the Urban and Rural Development Department on renewal. He emphasized that remodeling and maintenance work and elevator installations are not restricted to government subsidized projects; Public Works is asked to also assist in citizen remodeling constructions.
During the meeting, Mayor Chu described the vision for New Taipei’s urban planning. He pointed out that New Taipei City has finished its proposal of 2030’s urban planning vision, becoming the first city in Taiwan to propose a regional plan, integrate urban planning, and detail regulations in city planning. The proposal process, through a defense-based system and participatory budget planning, allowed citizens to become familiar with the details of the urban and community development. The city hopes the future developments can better suit the needs of the citizens.
For more information: Urban and Rural Development Department, Qiu Aihua Tel: 1999 or (02)2960-3456 ext. 7185