Cycling life Taiwan

Here in Taiwan cycling has gone through tremendous changes over the past 50 years.  Decades ago cycling was major mode of transportation in Taiwan, but with economic growth and urbanization mopeds replaced the bicycle as the primary mode of transportation. 

Video and picture of two older Taiwanese holding on to the cycling culture of their youth.

Taiwan is home to the world’s largest manufacturer of bikes, Giant and a thriving bike industry. In fact I missed being in Taiwan for Taichung Bike Week, the major international bike industry conference that occurs each year. I did have the chance to meet with Giant’s foundation, the Cycling Lifestyle Foundation. The foundation is transforming cycling in Taiwan making it not only a means for transportation, but a leading recreational activity. 

Vicky Yang, the foundation’s president, told me about her efforts over the last few years. The foundation has worked hard to change the way citizens think about cycling. Beginning in 1998 the foundation donated 1,000 bikes to Taipei for a community rental program at newly constructed bike trails. In 2000 Taipei kicked off its first car-free days with the support of the foundation. Perhaps the biggest transformation is occurring with Taiwan youth with the foundation sponsoring rides for 16 (50K), 18 (100K) and 20 (circle island ride) year-olds that are becoming a rite of passage. The foundation attracted international attention when to celebrate the Republic of China’s 100^th anniversary they organized the One Bike One event when 72,919 were confirmed o be riding at one time around the island, though unofficial estimates place the ride at more than 100,000. The government is supporting these efforts with a massive bike trail building program occurring across the nation.

Use the minus (-) sign to see more trails or View Popular routes in the Northern Taiwan in a larger map

Among the leaders in this effort is Professor Hsin-Wen Chang of Chung-Hua University. She has been a key player in planning routes around the island and making cycling an important part of Taiwan’s tourist economy. Her work is paying off. Earlier this year, Lonely Planet declared Taiwan one of its Top 10 destinations saying, “So why is 2012 the time to visit? Because Taiwan is best seen on two wheels and in recent years the authorities have embraced the biking market with surprising enthusiasm, vision and (most importantly) funding. This year sees the linking of thousands of kilometers of paths, including two round-the-island routes, and a host of other cycling friendly infrastructure projects.” Taipei and Kaohsiung have extensive and easily accessible trail networks and a national network is in the works. 

Both Taipei and Koahsiung also have public bike share systems. I used Kaohsiung's C-bike system extensively while I was there.  The system of 50 stations and more than 4,000 bikes was built in a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement for about $2.5 million, with contributions from a government air pollution control fund, the city government, and the central government's economic stimulus package. 

Kaohsiung well used bike trail along its Love River

C-Bike Station

This trail along an abandoned rail line will be reconstructed when a light rail line is built in the next few years.

The bikes are not as sturdy as those in the North American Bixi and B-Cycle systems and after a little more than a year of service are showing wear.  Though that means they are well used and that is definitely what I saw riding around much the weekend.   

The Youbike system in Taipei was initially launched as partnership between Giant Bicycle and the City of Taipei with Giant picking up the costs.  Now with government support the system is rapidly expanding across Taipei. With expansion still ongoing the system is averaging 10,000 rides a day. The first hour is free and there is no membership fee. Vicky told me, “Taiwanese won’t pay for a membership, so we are going to have to keep working with the government on the business model.”

Sadly, it has rained pretty much every moment that I haven’t been in a meeting in Taipei, so I haven’t had a chance to try the system.

How Taipei moves: an on the street overview

Taipei is a City of 2.7 million residents in a region of close to 6 million residents. Taipei's streets are a network of large six to eight lane arterial boulevards, complemented by two to four lane connector streets and then alleys that are about the size of a typical Philadelphia street. Cars, buses, taxis, delivery trucks, bicycles, more than a million mopeds and pedestrians all compete for a piece of the pavement. 

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Typical Taipei alley

Typical connector street in Taipei

A Taipei arterial street. Note the diagonal pedestrian crossing, which is used in the afternoons to accommodate high pedestrian volumes that access and MRT station.

Mopeds are a prominent feature of the street scene in Taipei, with a moped for every two residents of Taipei and another 2.3 million registered mopeds in neighboring New Taipei City. To accommodate these volumes lanes are designated on most streets for mopeds, along with moped boxes at each intersection to provide a safe head start and easier turning for moped drivers. Nearly all on-street parking is exclusively for mopeds. 

Private vehicle parking is largely reserved private lots and along the many alleys. It reminds me a bit of South and North Philly.  The City provides a relatively comprehensive parking information system with pre-trip information on parking availability at lots available on-line (the link shows just one lot) or by phone.  On major streets digital signs provide guidance to parking lots with available space. Some garages now offer QR codes for each spot, so you won’t forget where you parked your car. 

Taipei’s bus system has nearly 4,200 buses plying 309 routes operated by 14 different private companies. All buses are equipped with GPS that updates every 30 seconds (currently, SEPTA’s buses update every 3 minutes) to the City’s traffic operations center and on-line. The DOT has installed 37 miles of exclusive bus lanes along major arterial streets. The bus lanes are supported with boarding stations that provide information on the arrival of the next bus, seating and shelter from the rain. The system initially meet resistance from drivers, but data on dramatically improved travel time for buses, transit passenger satisfaction and little difference for autos supported the expansion of the lanes.

I had the chance to meet Taipei’s transportation leadership. The goal of Taipei’s Department of Transportation is to be sustainable and humanistic. With nearly 58 percent of all trips taken by transit, bike or foot and travel by these means growing, the Department is moving toward a realization of their goals.

In conversation with Deputy Mayor Wei-Zen Chen

Meeting with DOT Deputy Commissioner Dr. Lee-Yu Lin

Waste to energy or waste to entertainment

Perhaps the Beitou waste to energy facility should be known as a waste to entertainment plant.  Beitou is home to the world’s only smoke stack with a revolving restaurant attached. The Touch Stars Restaurant rises nearly 100 feet above the confluence of the Tamshui and Keelung rivers is reported to be a hot ticket on Valentine’s Day. Touch Stars serves Shanghai style food while rotating 360 degrees each hour. Beitou is not the world's only waste to energy tourist attraction, Vienna’s WTE plant is regularly featured in guidebooks and charges 10 euros for a tour. 

photo by Susan Curry

 

To be build community support for the Beitou facility Taipei City government used land adjacent to the facility to build a swimming complex, pre-school and kindergarten, fitness center and a park with an eternal dancing flame statue. The facilities are free to residents living within five kilometers of the plant. When I visited on a Tuesday afternoon it was well used and during weekends it receives thousands of visitors.   

Map of Beitou community facilities built around the WTE plant

The Eternal Dancing Flame statue of Beitou

The symbolism of the eternal dancing flame may turn out have been premature if rubbish keeps declining there may not be enough to fuel the facility.  When I ask officials if they might go the way of Sweden and important trash, I was told me that the public would never allow it.