The start of construction on the
Taichung MRT's Wuri, Wenxin
and Beitun sections signals a
giant leap toward becoming an
environmental city.

The Taichung City Government
continues to promote various
types of benefits to bus
passengers, in hopes of
increasing usage.

Mayor Hu personally rides
buses to promote usage of the
TTJ free bus system among
citizens.

Rows of palm trees along
WenXin Road will be moved to
the border of Taichung city and
county to create a palm-lined
bicycyle lane after construction
starts on the MRT.

Taichung's trendiest second-
hand furniture recycling and
environmental preservation education resource center is
at Bao Zhi Lin.

Originally considered garbage,
this furniture gains new life
after repainting and
restoration.

MRT Green Line: Moving toward an environmentally-friendly Taichung

Words and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Naomi Lai

"After 20 years of waiting, this dream is finally coming true," Mayor Jason Hu noted as he stood at the intersection of TaichungGang (Taichung Kang) and WenXin roads, presiding over a ground-breaking ceremony for the Taichung MRT Green Line. That particular spot will be the line's G13 station and intersect there with the Blue Line in six years. This start to construction of the MRT system symbolizes not only how far Taichung has progressed, but also its leap towards becoming an environmentally-friendly city.

Positive results from bus promotions
For years, Taichung struggled with an unreliable public transportation system, resulting in most residents' opting to use private transportation such as motor scooters and cars. According to Deputy Mayor James Hsiao, there used to be only two bus companies running some 30 routes, creating great inconveniences for citizens. However, over the past eight years, this has expanded to six companies with three times as many lines. Competition between different bus firms naturally has led to upgrades of service quality, creating further conveniences for residents as public transportation networks expand.

On two occasions recently, Mayor Hu noted Taichung changes, taking special pride in the growing use of public transportation. The number of bus passengers has increased five-fold from 400,000 per month eight years ago to two million people per month today. However, the mayor still believes that there is space for improvement.

TTJ Free Bus system changes transportation habits
This April, the Taichung City Government implemented its TTJ Free Bus System, supporting six bus lines with a budget of NT$200 million. It is hoped that this will change the way people travel within the city. Hsiao said that another NT$200 million budget would be invested in the TTJ system next year, in a boost that will increase the number of buses and accustom citizens with using public transportation before the MRT is up and running.

The MRT's Green Line will travel along WenXin Road from Beitun district and end at the High Speed Rail station. Transportation Bureau Director Wen Tai-Hsin said that the MRT will become an artery connecting Taichung with other cities and towns. Travellers coming to Taichung via High Speed Rail will be able to immediately and conveniently access any part of the city with the MRT system. The Green Line will also intersect Taiwan Rail's local network, allowing people from central Taiwan's six counties and cities to conveniently travel to and within the city.

Energy savings and carbon-emission reductions with the MRT
Wen also noted that taking the MRT instead of driving would allow residents to help reduce immense amounts of carbon emissions. In another plus, a decrease in number of scooters and cars will greatly improve the city's traffic and increase the quality of life.

According to Hsiao, Taichung's public transportation usage rate is less than 8%, compared to Taipei's 50% and 60% to 70% in European cities, meaning that there is still a long way to go. There is a need to cultivate the habit of using public transportation before the MRT becomes functional, and a special budget will be created for subsidies when the MRT starts operations. Despite the potential high financial loss in the beginning, the city government is confident that the system will become profitable within five years.

40% increase in recycling
Taichung's recycling rate has also increased greatly from 6% eight years ago to 40% today, as the amount of trash produced per person per day also has dropped from 1.2 kilograms to 0.7 kilograms. A love of the Earth and the environment is expressed when trash decreases and recycling increases. These actions will also help prolong the life spans of current garbage dumps.

Meanwhile, massive amounts of recycled materials are being restored and reused at the Bao Zhi Lin Furniture Restoration Center, where the application of the "Zero Waste and Resource Recycling" principle has become a model for the entire nation. It is estimated that by 2012 the restoration center will annually be able to recycle up to 73,000 tons of garbage, generating more than NT$200 million in profit. Recycled wood here helps save 100,000 trees per year and reduces 170,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, all actions that greatly help to improve the environment.

Discarded furniture becomes beautiful artwork in the hands of artists, who express tremendous imagination and creativity to the city's residents.

Left: A huge chair stands in the furniture exhibition area, symbolizing the restored life and value found in second-hand furniture here.