With an expected 500,000 revelers to swamp Taipei's Xinyi District during the New Year Countdown Party today and a flag-raising ceremony tomorrow morning, the Taipei City Police Department is implementing traffic control measures to alleviate traffic congestion.
The 2007 New Year Countdown Party, organized by the Taipei City Government, will take place in front of Taipei City Hall and in its vicinity beginning at 2pm and will last through 2am on New Year's Day, followed by a flag-raising ceremony and a morning jog at 6am.
Shifu Road and Renai Road were closed off starting Friday and will remain so until 10pm on Monday to facilitate stage construction and other preparatory measures.
Given the ongoing MRT Xinyi Line construction, the city government will restrict the number of vehicles entering the City Hall area.
For drivers passing through the area, the city government suggests that east-west traffic use Yongji Road, Civic Boulevard, or Heping E Road; while north-south traffic should use Dunhua N/S Road, Songde Road or Songshan Road. City buses will be operate until 2am, and the MRT will operate until at least 3am. The first MRT train on New Year's Day will begin operating at 4:30am. The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation said it did not rule out the possibility of extending the hours and operating for 24 hours on New Year's Eve.
As for the "2007 New Year's Day Flag Raising Ceremony" at the plaza in front of the Presidential Office at 6am and a morning jog at the Civic Plaza in front of Taipei City Hall at 6:30am, pedestrians and vehicles will be prohibited from 2am to 5:30am on east-bound Boai Road, on south-bound Baoqing Road, on east-bound Gongyuan Road and on north-bound of Guiyang Street.
Vehicles will be prohibited between 5:30am and 8am at the following location: on west-bound Boai Road, on Hengyuan Road, Xiangyang Road, on south-bound Changde Street, on east-bound Zhongshan Road, on north-bound Aiguo E Road.
The city government strongly discourages the use of cars and motorcycles, and urges residents visiting the area to use public transportation.
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