1
.Origin of the
Project
The Executive Yuan approved the “Taiwan
Railway Administration’s MRT Transformation – Kaohsiung Railway
Underground Project” of the Ministry of Transportation and
Communications on January 19, 2006. The project is to convert the
existing railway section starting from da-zhong Road’s zuo-ying
area and ending at Zheng-Yi Road’s Lin-Ya area into a 14km
underground line. There will be eight Mass Rapid Transit stations
along the projected line, which are scheduled to be in operation
by the end of 2015 with completion scheduled for 2017.
The
Kaohsiung City Government and the Ministry of Transportation and
Communication are cooperating closely to plan the use of available
land resulting from the railway underground project and will
revise urban planning accordingly.
2.Goals of
the Project
| A. |
To meet Kaohsiung City’s
underground railway needs and to revise urban plans accordingly.
|
| B. |
To reorganize the urban context and the land use along the
rail lines, and to promote the renewal development of surrounding
land near the original stations and lines. |
3.Vision for Project
| A. |
To transform
downtown Kaohsiung into a transportation hub and business center |
| B. |
To pursue an urban mode more oriented toward environmentally
friendly transportation |
4.Project Outline
The
Kaohsiung Railway Underground Project is an urban renewal project
that aims to re-evaluate the plan usage of the existing railway
corridor, stations and surrounding land and to rezone land and
re-classify roads accordingly once the underground project is
finished. The project covers approximately 58 hectares, and the
existing land is currently used for business, government
organizations and a public square. And the railway will be rezoned
for new train stations, the special commercial district, parks,
green belts and public roads. Through the development and rezoning
of the area of this project, the goal is to promote the vitality
and renewal of local business activities and to increase the
transportation capacity in various ways between North and South
Kaohsiung. This project will not only satisfy local needs for
convenient transportation, but the expansion of the city and the
living quality is taken into consideration for the benefit of
future development.
5.Execution
Status
This project was approved on February 27,
2007 in the 653rd meeting of the Urban Planning Committee of the
Executive Yuan. The decision was made in consideration of the
following factors: the obstacles caused by the existing railway;
the demand of connecting lines between Taiwan High Speed Rail’s
Tsoying Station and Kaohsiung Main Station; the demand of solving
the current traffic congestion caused by the existing railway
level crossings; and to facilitate the current plans of extending
the underground railway to Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Tsoying
Station by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The
Urban Planning Committee of the Executive Yuan has also resolved
to modify the railway section from Da-Zhong Rd. (Taiwan High Speed
Rail’s Tsoying Station) to Bao-Zhen Rd. to reserve lands for the
underground rail project. The current stage of the project will be
altered in accordance with the actual developmental requirements,
and will be submitted incrementally to the Executive Yuan for
approval. All actions will be announced and implemented in
accordance with the law.
6.Current Progress
and Follow Up Measures
A.Main Project (First
Stage: Utilized Land) Sent to Executive Yuan for Approval
This project is based on the “Kaohsiung Railway
Underground Project” approved by the Executive Yuan on January 19,
2006. It includes the railway section from Bao-Zhen Rd. to
Zheng-Yi Rd. which is in the first stage of operation and will be
announced in accordance with the law. The remaining areas of the
project will be announced in increments as decisions by the Urban
Planning Committee of the Ministry of Transportation and
Communications.
B.Detailed Project Draft
The
Kaohsiung City Government, in cooperation with the Ministry of
Transportation and Communications Railway Reconstruction Bureau,
has been drafting detailed ideas and plans for the underground
railway project. Negotiations and coordination meetings involving
all parties have been held intensively to accelerate the process
of urban renewal.
7.Foreseeable Benefits
| A. |
Reunify parts of the city that had been cut off |
| B. |
Promote
development and renewal of land surrounding old stations and the
railway |
| C. |
Restructure Kaohsiung’s traffic network |
| D. |
Accelerate development of public transportation |
| E. |
Revive
public spaces surrounding the old stations and railway |
