Residents have called on the Taipei City Government to reconsider its plan to demolish a four-decades-old pedestrian overpass near Daan Forest Park.
The 42-year-old concrete and steel structure that serves as an elevated walkway over the intersection of Heping and Xinsheng roads is to be closed on Tuesday in preparation for demolition slated for completion by the end of the month.
However, in recent days some local residents have been protesting the planned destruction of the intersection overpass that is rendered more poetically as “sky bridge” in Chinese.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Transportation Departmen
“This bridge carries the community’s collective memory,” said a man surnamed Chuang (莊), a local resident who recalled frequently crossing it with his children to take them to school more than 20 years ago.
“The government’s attitude of ‘just tear it down’ without listening to the public shows a lack of connection to the city and an arrogant disregard for culture,” Chuang said.
“Most residents — myself included — hope to keep the bridge,” local borough warden Huang Shih-chuan (黃世詮) said. “Separating pedestrians from vehicles is the safest way.”
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Located about 500m from National Taiwan Normal University, at the southwest corner of Daan Forest Park, the overpass allowed people to walk over the busy multiple-lane intersection for more than four decades.
Despite many residents’ fondness for the functional — if not classically attractive — pedestrian footbridge, the city government last month announced its plan to demolish it.
The city government’s main policy is to “gradually” replace all the city’s pedestrian overpasses to increase visibility for pedestrians and drivers, as well as to create more space on sidewalks, the Taipei New Construction Office said.
As the city’s population gets older on average, ground-level crossings are considered by city planners to be “safer and more convenient” than bridges.
The Taipei Department of Transportation agreed with the New Construction Office, saying that “current column placements at intersections obstruct right-turning vehicles from clearly seeing pedestrians.”
Referring to a pedestrian overpass bridge that used to stand at the intersection of Xinyi and Keelung roads, the bureau said traffic accidents involving right-turning vehicles had decreased by 60 percent one year after it was removed.
However, some residents want the bridge preserved and say that the city government has not taken their views into account.
Lin Wen-chun (林玟君), one of the organizers of a protest group, said the authorities have failed to explain the necessity of the planned demolition.
“There are 13 sky bridges exceeding 40 years old in use in Taipei City,” Lin said, adding that the oldest has been operational for 55 years.
“The inspection company’s report did not show any structural safety issues, but the city government nonetheless decided to demolish it,” he said, adding that he thinks the New Construction Office should provide “scientific” reasons for the decision.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) on Monday said he would ask the transportation and public works departments and the New Construction Office to “continue communicating” on this issue.
He is in support of the departments “doing what should be done,” Chiang told department heads during a city government meeting yesterday.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS