A:

I. During all these years, the unlimited vehicle development brings some problems to the city, such as air pollution, traffic congestion and environmental deterioration that decrease our life quality, compel us to think over the benefits of developing LRT system, brings back to the clear and unpolluted city, builds up a high quality environment.

II. The inadequate transportation facilities in Kaohsiung Area, as well as theirs poor service quality, for a long time being, has led to the low utility rate. We may come up with to enhance the whole mass transportation system’s network, by cultivating riding transportation system habit, planning loop line LRT derived from the existing looped railway, that runs through some recreation places, such as Commerce and Trade Park, Hamasen, Ai-river, Shou-mountain and Chai-mountain. At the same time, planning shuttle system coordination between HSR, TRA and bus, establishing the integrity of transportation network

A: LRT is a rail support urban's public transportation system. Runs on road corridors with small curve radius and slope, operates via power supplied by overhead wires. The system is relatively uncomplicated, light load, low cost and flexible, assembled with the un-gated fare collection systems, simple bus stops and one-main-drive vehicles, are the features of LRT. LRT vehicles are multi-articulated, may operate in mass-rapid-to-be quality on exclusive rights-of-way, or operate in high speed on segregated rights-of-way in the suburban.

A: This route starts at the north side of the intersection of Kaixuan 3rd Rd. and Yixin Rd. (TRA Qianzhen Shunting Yard), also arranges the LRT facilities along Kaixuan Rd. At its south end terminal point Kaixuan 4th Rd, turn right on Chenggong 2nd Rd., continue north until reach Wufu 3rd Rd. Proceed to Kaohsiung bridge, turn right and travel north on Tongmeng 3rd Rd, the new constructed Ai-river overpass and Meishu East 2nd Rd.. Turn east along Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung Municipal United Hospital, and reach farm road No. 16. Continue east along Dashun 1st to 3rd Rd. until reach east side of Kaixuan park on Zhongzheng Rd’s intersection, and finally return to Qianzhen Shunting Yard, to form a north-south link’s Kaohsiung loop line LRT. Total are 19.6 km long, with 32 bus stops and one depot. The construction cost is 12.201 billion (including adjustment of land-prices and commodities). The LRT will be built in at-grade mode

A:

There isn't any "best" public transportation in urban areas, but rather how well to integrate the public transportation system, in accordance with various requirements, to maximize their benefits

The type selection of transportation system (light rail, medium capacity or mass capacity), constructed in at-grade, sub-grade or elevated line, are related to the harmonization of several factors such as transportation performance, economic efficient, construction technique, environmental landscaping, noise pollution and ground traffic. To balance the urban transportation development, LRT be the preferred choice. Both heavy rail and light rail operate in large city over the world, in at-grade, sub-grade and elevated modes.

Under the concept of balancing urban transportation development, the implementation strategy of transportation construction in the large city is by using the exclusive right-of-way (underground or elevated) heavy rail transit with its greatest transport capacity is used to fulfill the high traffic volumes. the medium capacity transport system or LRT (exclusive right-of-way, elevated or ground) for the medium traffic volume, and the ground bus system for the low traffic volume. All the heavy rail systems, LRT systems, bus systems, ground, underpasses or overpasses are co-exist to balance the urban transportation development, to satisfy the different traffic capacity.

In consideration of the current situation of transportation demand, economic efficiency and government finance of Kaohsiung, it is not possible to construct any underground or elevated high capacity transit system. The better approach is to build LRT system first, and transfer to high capacity transit system according to the boosting demand for traffic capacity.

The LRT construction and its followed-up network planning, when used in conjunction with Red and Orange line, will establish the whole track transportation and shuttle transportation services. The coordination and integration of ticket system of high speed rail, TRA, bus, rapid transit, transfer stations and transfer facilities, will improve the transportation efficiency, that bring benefits to the urban transportation development.

The LRT will take as the larger-capacity bus running on common roadways, with priority at traffic signal control system, or obey the traffic signal, with its 30m coach length, providing quick transfer, no level crossing, will not cause the traffic congested. In the other hand, the development of LRT will cultivate riding public transportation habit, reduce the use of private car, minimize roadways load, that facilitate the traffic improvement

High speed, comfortable, no pollution, low noise, long life span, low energy consumption are the features of LRT, also called as “Green Transportation”, will becomes the moving land mark and provide positive effects to urban landscaping.

A:

I. The construction of loop line LRT, will lead the multi-function Business Park (including Kuo Cheng UFO, Taisugar Logistics Park, Uni-President Complex Business Centre and Copperas Shopping Centre development projects) and some other large-scale construction such as TRA Kaohsiung depot and Kaohsiung Station Special Area, may have positive effect to public participants and Kaohsiung harbor extensive development projects.

II. Strengthening industrial development, enabling industrial growth, creating more employments, reducing unemployment.

III. The Red & Orange lines supplement the LRT, will establish the investment effectivness, accelerate the investment, and stimulate economic development.

IV. LRT will construct the whole Kaohsiung area’s public transportation network and shuttle transportation, produces a movement away from private cars to LRT, that may alleviate the growth of roadways traffic, traffic congestion, as well side impacts to urban space and landscaping quality.

A:

I. The catenaries are mounted over the middle of roads, 10-15 m away from stores that will not contact with the advertisements.

II. LRT is world wide in operation, the overhead catenary is strong enough to resist taifun. Only the advertisements along the LRT line need to re-order, to prevent wind hitting and damage the overhead lines.

A: Compared to the traditional railway freight transportation vehicle, which is about 400 m long, with 2-3 minutes passing time, the under planning LRT will operate as 2 car trains, total are 60 m long, the time for passing the road intersection is about 7-8 seconds. However,. Obviously, the influence to the traffic congestion of these two vehicles is in-comparable. The LRT run on roadways, like the common car, controlled by traffic signals, obey the traffic signs, and fit into computerized urban roads traffic signal control system, that reduce road retention. Therefore, may not impact the traffic flow.

A: The west section of LRT does not use the existing west loop line TRA’s road corridors. The major consideration is to keep the function of west loop line’s freight transportation at harbor area, to prevent both LRT and TRA uses the same right-of-way that may rises driving safety issues. In addition, LRT is a moving land mark, moves into urban area, moves into crowds is one of its characteristics. LRT provides convenience and high service quality, to increase the accessibility of the surroundings recreation places, to acquire higher usability, to increase pedestrian activities and consumption acts. Taking LRT will not only minimize traffic flow and improve the transportation performance, but also drive economic growth of its surroundings.

A: In certain cases in the abroad, in downtown area, the light rail vehicles and buses use the same right-of-way (type C right-of-way). Considering the driving habits of Kaohsiung citizen, at the beginning, the type B right-of-way is recommended, the LRT line within a street right-of-way but protected by curbs and fences between crossings to avoid the burst in motor vehicles that cause traffic accidents, exclude the emergency (disaster services, police services, medical services), such as ambulances, police patrol cars or fire fighting trucks. When the driving habits of citizen improve, and to cooperate with the type of land use for the area along LRT lines, change the right-of-way to type C, which will increase the urban development for those areas.

A: LRT system is a high technology product, is completely free from air pollution. Its noise pollution is pretty low, lower than city’s background noise. The LRT system will use the modern low-floor vehicles, with its low voice emissions and vibrations, to minimize the noise pollution that citizen concern.

A: The LRT line is currently planned to cooperate with Red & Orange lines of mass rapid transit to form the crossing inner circle line, that preliminarily construct the model of Kaohsiung public transportation. The continually long-term network plannings are all be in light rail (exclude Gang-Shan and Bing-Dong extension line), that will accomplish the whole transportation network of Kaohsiung Metropolis Area.

A: The LRT line passes over Multi-purpose Business Park, integrates and develops the land use of that area, are undoubtedly benefits to the economic and business improvements. At the same time, to integrate the mass rapid transit system, to compose a large-scale network of railway systems, to provide the convenience transportation channel. The proposed strategy is to gradually develop the existing buses, grounded light rail transit, as well as the underground/elevated light rail transit, that may benefit greatly for the development of whole public transportation system of Kaohsiung Metropolis are.

A: For consideration of intersection-passing-time, the loop line LRT is designed to accommodate 2 cars operation and runs in two directions (clockwise and counter-clockwise). The schedule will be compressed to meet the increasing of passenger capacity. As there are some segregated facilities near the railway of suburban areas, LRT will operate at speeds of 60-80 km/h. However, in downtown area (totally no segregation facilities), the operation speeds will drop to 20-30 km/h.