Department of Transportation

　　As YouBike has become a much favored means of transportation, with many suggestions for additional stations, Taipei City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) has devised a standard for setting up a station. In the future, the distance between stops will follow a guideline of 600 meters or more, with a net width of 2 meters for the sidewalk after setting up the station. Should a station be set at a location with no sidewalk, the net width should be at least 6 meters in order not to impede access in the event of an emergency. Also, the length of the setup space should be at least 30 meters in order to accommodate at least 15 racks at each station. With the availability of power in the surrounding area, the station should also be located near a major road for ease of access and deployment. If the station is set near an elementary school, approval from the school is required to make sure that the setup would not affect the safety of the students when they pass by the station near their school. The land used for the station should be owned by the City or approved for use by owners without indemnity. The standard for selecting a spot for the YouBike station in Taipei City will be more consistent, with stations located in major communities for more fairness in access and use.
　　According to the results of a street survey conducted by DOT in 2014, about 48% of the users spent less than 5 minutes in walking, and about 35% spent 5-10 minutes, thus above 80% spent less than 10 minutes in walking. To offer a service with higher accessibility, the guideline will feature a 5-minute walking distance for setting up a station, which is about 350 meters of walking distance after conversion. Thus, the average range of area served by each station is approximately 350 meters in radius, or about 700 meters of distance between stations. As suggestions were eagerly proposed, the distance for 60 YouBike stations that are scheduled for addition in the City this year will enjoy more relaxed standards for their setup, with priority given to those located more than 600 meters from currently available stations.
　　In addition, DOT will take into overall consideration factors such as diversity in the usage of surrounding lands. A place located near a Metro station or an important bus transit with greater population having registered their households will receive priority in setting up bike stations. Should there be many places in the same area suggested for setting up stations, their setup will be expected to take place upon reaching a consensus after compromise and coordination have been carried out by local parties in the area.

2015-04-30