New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu went to Sindian District’s Dapenghuacheng Community last week to understand the configuration of the new YouBike public bike system being set up in his city. Six YouBike stations in Sindian and Sijhih are set to have trial runs before the Lunar New Year, Chu says, adding that in the next three years 300 stations are expected to open in New Taipei City, effectively expediting the implementation of the city’s public bike program.
The Dapenghuacheng Community is the site of New Taipei City’s first public bike station and the first station to operate inside a private neighborhood community. Chia Yu-ling, chairwoman of the community’s committee, says that residents have been enthusiastically renting the bikes. Even Chia herself, who rarely rides bikes, rented one and rode it a short distance just to give it a go. The next nearest YouBike station, however, is at Jingmei MRT Station, Chia says, adding that she hopes the New Taipei City Transportation Bureau will swiftly set up a YouBike station at Dapinglin MRT Station to make it more convenient for people to rent bikes and transfer to the MRT.
New Taipei City Transportation Bureau Simon Chao says that besides Dapenghuacheng Community, two other stations are expected to be completed at Dapinglin MRT and the intersection of Jhongsing Rd and Baojhong Rd before the Lunar New Year. Starting in the middle of the year, a three-year construction project consisting of three phases will commence, Chao says, adding that apart from increasing the number of stations in Sindian and Sijhih districts, YouBike stations will be set up in suitable areas near stops along the Sanchong and Yonghe MRT lines. Three-hundred stations will hopefully be completed within the next three years, meeting the goal of providing 8,000 public bikes in New Taipei City, he says.
Photo: Kuo Yen-hui, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者郭顏慧
Giant YouBike spokesperson Vicky Liu says that obtaining land to build the stations for the bikes is the hardest thing. In Taipei, for example, all of the stations have been built on land owned by the city, she says, adding that New Taipei City’s ability to overcome this obstacle and collaborate with private communities will definitely make it easier to set up stations faster.
New Taipei City’s public bike system — NewBike — has been operating for three years and currently has 13 stations, Chu says, adding that YouBike will eventually replace NewBike once there are plenty of YouBike stations. To avoid wasting the public’s money, the NewBike bicycles will still be available to the public after being moved to the suburbs and riverside parks, Chu says.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
新北市長朱立倫上週前往新店大鵬華城社區了解YouBike系統試辦情形,朱立倫表示農曆年前會先完成新店及汐止地區等六個試辦點,並在三年內陸續建置三百個租借站,加速新北市公共自行車整體計畫。
大鵬華城社區不僅是新北市第一個租借站,同時也是雙北市在社區內設置租借站的先例。社區主委賈玉玲說,社區民眾租借踴躍,就連自己平日很少騎自行車也為了嘗鮮試騎了一小段。不過賈玉玲表示,目前距離社區最近的租借站在景美捷運站,期盼交通局能加快腳步在大坪林捷運站設置租借點,方便民眾租借與轉乘捷運。
新北市交通局長趙紹廉表示,新店區除大鵬華城社區外,尚有捷運大坪林站及中興路寶中路口等兩個租借站,預定農曆春節前完工。另外從今年中開始將展開三年三期的建置計畫,除擴增新店、汐止租借站外,接著會在三重及永和捷運線周邊找尋合適的地點建置租借站,希望在三年內完成三百個租借站,達到車輛總數八千輛的目標。
YouBike系統商捷安特公司發言人劉麗珠說,建置租借站用地取得最為困難,以台北市為例,目前現有租借站都是設置在市地上,但新北市能突破此一限制與社區結合,相信未來在拓點速度上會更快速一些。
至於新北市目前建置有十三處NewBike租借站,朱立倫表示該系統建置已將近三年,待YouBike租借站普及後,NewBike將會予以淘汰,朱強調,淘汰車輛會移往郊區、與堤外自行車道繼續供民眾使用,絕不會浪費一毛公帑。
(自由時報記者王凱琳)
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