Taichung City Government is vigorously promoting the Cycling Center Taichung project to improve the existing sidewalks and bikeways by connecting 7 parkways with 7 parks in the city to form the 17.2km-long Emerald Necklace. Currently, stage 1 of the second phase of the project has been finished, and the entire line is slated for completion by the end of next year. According to Mayor Shiow-yen Lu, the parkways and parks will be linked together to form a Love Bicycle Chain, offering the citizens a more convenient, high-quality environment for prolonged exercising and recreation .
Mayor Lu inspected stage 1 of the second phase of the project today (28th) accompanied by Construction Bureau Director-General Ta-tien Chen. She commented that 7 parkways in Taichung have never been joined together before, therefore the city government has launched the Cycling Center Taichung project to consolidate the aforementioned facilities in order to provide the public with an environment for uninterrupted strolling and exercising, allowing them to enjoy high-quality recreation.
According to the Construction Bureau, Cycling Center Taichung – Taichung City Sidewalk and Bikeway Network Improvement Project encompasses the East, West, South, North, and Central District, totaling 17.2km long. The first phase of the project was finished last year, while stage 1 of the second phase of the project incorporates areas including the Zhongming Parkway section (intersection of Sec. 1, Jianguo S. Rd. and Nanhe Rd.), Jiankang Park section (Nanhe Rd. to Lane 380 of Wuquan S. Rd.), Yude Parkway section first street block (Boguan Rd. to Minquan Rd.), and the first phase of Cycling Center Taichung, totaling 1.6km long. The project was recently concluded at a construction cost of NT$33,528,957.
Stage 2 of the second phase (Xingjin Parkway and Dongguang Rd. corridor) is currently under construction, while stage 3 of the project is awaiting budget allocation (construction is expected to commence in 2020). The entire line of Cycling Center Taichung is slated for completion by the end of next year.
The ambition of the people-oriented project is to form a comprehensive network by connecting the city's parkways as well as sidewalks and bikeways, thereby improving the entrances and exits of street corners by separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic, ultimately offering smoother traffic flow and creating a more comprehensive, comfortable cycling environment. Furthermore, the landscaping technique is applied to sculpt a simple, aesthetic, energy-saving, and carbon-reducing streetscape and pedestrian environment that can also be developed into the city's slow-living space. Dignitaries including city councilors Chung Li, Su-chen Chiu, Ting-wei Lo, Finance Bureau Director-General Hsien-fa Lo, and Development Bureau Director-General Feng-yuen Chang all attended the construction site inspection event today.