The City of Taoyuan provided its citizens with a low-carbon transportation option by introducing a new bike-rental system and upgrading cycling facilities.
To achieve a seamless transport system and provide transportation service for the “last mile,” the Taiwanese city of Taoyuan launched a bike-rental system. The program started in 2015, and 130 bike-rental stations are up and running, with a total of 2,800 bikes in service. Several of the stations are located at the airport Metro Rail Transit stations, making multimodal travel easier. The idea is to create a low-carbon, green, and convenient urban environment by reducing the use of private motorized vehicles. The system also promotes healthier lifestyles for residents, and is one of Taoyuan’s “Low-Carbon Green City Flagship Projects.”
2,500 tons of CO2 emissions to be reduced annually with the shift to bicycles
Cities100 – 2017
Conditions for cyclists have been improved to incentivize citizens to choose a bike over private motorized vehicles. Upgrades include: adjustment of traffic lanes, optimization of signals for bicycles, improvement of bike-friendly facilities, and enhancement of bike route guidance. Furthermore, the goal for 2017 is to establish an additional 15 km of bike lanes.
The challenge
Taoyuan has been focused on improving mass transit in order to achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The city’s new rapid transit system has been introduced, but commuters still lack good “last-mile” solutions. To combat this, a new public bike-rental system with affordable prices is getting people out of cars and cutting emissions.
Co-benefits
Economic The city plans to provide 586 new jobs during the seven years of the program, as there is a need for people in operation maintenance, management, and bicycle dispatching.
Environmental The amount of fuel saved during the seven-year program is estimated at more than eight million liters, which will reduce emissions and improve air quality in the city.
Health According to a survey, at least 18.7% of people are willing to use public transportation instead of motorcycles and cars. When regularly using a bicycle for transportation, residents’ health will improve, which benefits residents and the government.
About Taoyuan
Taoyuan is a special municipality in northwestern Taiwan. Taoyuan developed from a satellite city of Taipei metropolitan area to be the fourth-largest metropolitan area, and fifth-largest populated city in Taiwan. Since commuting to the Taipei metropolitan area is easy, Taoyuan has seen the fastest population growth of all cities in Taiwan. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, which serves the capital, Taipei and the rest of northern Taiwan, is located in this city.
