Taipei Seeks Remedy for City Cycling Ills.

Taipei Mayor, Dr. Ko Wen-je has recently announced a major shift in cycling policy for the nation's largest city. 

Rather than merely treating cycling as a recreation activity, Mayor Ko is seeking to integrate the bicycle into the taipei transportation grid. If he is successful and if he can base the city plans on communication with real cyclists in Taipei, this will mark a paradigm shift in Taiwanese urban planning. 

The objective of the first stage of his plan will be to build bike paths on all roads that are 40 meters or more wide, Ko said at the Asian Cycling Forum 2015 in Taipei.

From a cycling standpoint, this is a reversal of prior plans that located cycling on the outskirts of the city for weekend riders and holiday makers or the politically expedient and poorly executed Dunhua Rd. debacle. 

Meanwhile, Ma Ying-ju vows to complete a massive 1005km leisure cycling network around Taiwan by the end of the year.... just in time for the elections. 

“We are confident the network can provide cycling enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to exercise and enjoy the beauty of Taiwan,” Ma said. “No stone is to be left unturned in taking development of this increasingly popular recreation activity to new heights.”

Two very different views of public money spent to promote bicycle use.   

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