The Institute of Transportation (IOT) has completed a manual to help facilitate planning and design for bicycle routes nationwide.
Lin Kuo-shian (林國顯), the institute's transportation division director, said the manual draws a list of recommendations on basic infrastructure and standards that local governments can use when they design bicycle routes, including width and height for bicycle lanes, traffic and landmark signs to guide cyclists and types of pavement that can be used to build bicycle lanes.
The IOT is a government institution responsible for conducting transportation research and offering policy advice to the bureaus under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
“One of the new ideas proposed is to have supply stations along bicycle routes for cyclists,” Lin said. “We have divided these supply stations into different levels,” depending on the service they offer.
Level 1 and Level 2 supply stations will offer very basic services, including rudimentary medical supplies, tools for repairing bicycles, water faucets or sinks, water fountains, seats and shower facilities.
Level 3 to Level 5 facilities will include high-end services such as bicycle shops, bicycle rental services, a tourist information center and accommodation.
Lin said that some of the police stations along these routes have already begun to function as supply stations.
The institute has proposed turning some of Taiwan Railway Administration's first-tier railway stations around Hualien and Taitung, such as Rueisui (瑞穗), Hualien, Yuli (玉里), Kuanshan (關山) and Taitung, into supply stations.
He said local governments could design traffic signs to fit their need, but they must incorporate crucial information for the cyclists, including directions.
The ministry is scheduled to complete the design of five bicycle routes along the east coast by the end of this year, Lin said. They include the Old Caoling Tunnel route in Taipei County, the coastal route in Ilan County, the Liyutan (鯉魚潭) route in Hualien County, the Kuanshan route and the Shimen (石門) coastal route in Taitung County.
The 76.15km Liyutan route connects Hualien's Sincheng (新城), Shoufeng (壽豐), Liyutan and Chian (吉安) townships, and is the longest of the five routes.
Maps on the five bicycle routes will be posted on the institute's Web site before the end of this year.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
RSS