Kaohsiung County will connect 100km of bicycle trails by the end of this year to promote tourism in the area and offer a bicycle-friendly environment, a top official said yesterday.
"Building a well-connected network of bicycle routes is the key to boosting bicycle travel in and around the county," Kao-hsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) said at a meeting.
In the past few years, the county has built 80km of bicycle trails and intends to complete construction of the remaining 20km this year, partly to lure tourists to the county.
The county surrounds Kao-hsiung City, which will host the 2009 World Games from July 16 to July 29. The Games are expected to draw 4,600 athletes from some 100 countries, as well as many tourists.
Yang said that while most of the bicycle routes in the county had been completed, the remainder of the network had yet to be linked, but will be connected this year.
Once the entire route is complete, the county will be able to attract more tourists and cyclists will be able to enjoy the county's beautiful landscape, including the scenery between the Old Railroad Bridge and the cable-stayed bridge on the Formosa Freeway, Yang said.
Yang also asked the Tourism and Traffic Bureau to make better route maps that provide a comprehensive guide for bicycle riders.
The Kaohsiung County Government has made a number of efforts to build bicycle routes, focusing on the areas around Meinung Township (美濃) and the Gaoping River (高屏溪).
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