The second line of the Danhai Light Rail Transit system is likely to bypass the popular tourist spot of Tamsui Old Street (淡水老街) and run along the Tamsui River (淡水河) due to opposition from local residents, the New Taipei City Department of Rapid Transit Systems said on Tuesday.
The Blue Seaside Line, which is under construction, is to start at MRT Tamsui Station and join the completed Green Mountain Line at Binhai Shalun Station, it said.
The Blue Seaside Line was originally to be separated into two single tracks in either direction, instead of a single double-track design for most parts between MRT Tamsui Station and Station V23, near Fort San Domingo, the department said.
Photo: CNA
That would allow one track to run through Tamsui Old Street, while the other would run along Provincial Highway 2b, it said.
The two tracks were to converge near Station V23 and extend westward to Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf Station next to the highway, it added.
However, local residents have opposed introducing the light rail to the old street since last year, due to noise and environmental concerns, as well as the inconvenience that would be caused for parking and product loading.
At a meeting between the city government and local residents on Monday, complementary measures were initiated, including road renovation and construction of underground parking lots for motorcycles.
However, residents remain opposed to the idea, leading to a plan in which there would not be any separation of the double tracks, the department said.
The entire line is to be built alongside the river, bypassing the old street and the highway, it said.
The city government is expected to approve the new plan soon, the department said, adding that construction could start next year and be completed in 2024 as scheduled.
The four-line light-rail system started operations in 2018 after the completion of the Green Mountain Line and is also to include the Bali and Sanzhi lines, which are still in the planning stages.
The Blue Seaside Line’s first phase, which has three stops — Taipei University of Marine Technology, Shalun and Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf — has almost been completed, the city government said.
The budget for the system, including a second phase to extend the Blue Seaside Line to six more stations along the river between Fisherman’s Wharf and MRT Tamsui Station, totals NT$15.3 billion (US$506 million).
The system is part of the development of the 1,748.7 hectare Danhai New Town, which was launched in 1992 with the aim of attracting 300,000 residents by 2036.
The electric streetcars travel on their own tracks, but share the road with other vehicles and must obey standard traffic regulations, including stopping at red lights.
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