The Taipei City Government yesterday said it would begin removing the Gongguan roundabout and filling in the bus underpass on Saturday as scheduled, despite protests by civic groups and city councilors.
The project is expected to be completed in late November, replacing the roundabout at Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road and its three lanes with a standard four-way junction controlled by traffic lights, the Taipei Department of Transportation said.
However, civic groups and road safety activists, who plan to stage protests on Friday, have argued that the roundabout should remain and instead be upgraded with clearer markings and signage.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) has also questioned the city’s evaluation methods, saying that closing the underpass would worsen traffic congestion in the area.
Department Commissioner Hsieh Ming-hong (謝銘鴻) said that safety is a priority.
The redesign is based on more than two decades of studies and has been endorsed by academics and road safety experts as the best solution, Hsieh said.
The roundabout, built in 1967, has been the top site for traffic accidents in the city for the past seven consecutive years, Hsieh said.
He said that filling in the underpass is necessary to resolve structural load issues, and while traffic would be congested for about two months, alternative routes and real-time traffic monitoring would be established.
The plan is to start with sealing and filling in the underpass over a 44-day period, followed by the demolition of the roundabout in 21 days, he said.
According to the department, the redesign would shorten the pedestrian crossings by 23 percent, expand walking space and give buses more space at the intersection.
While some people have expressed concern that merging the bus lanes with regular traffic could worsen congestion, simulations indicate that about 60 percent of buses would be able to navigate the intersection when they have the green light, the department said.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
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