The News Lens international edition is sponsored by Tutor A B C
New Year’s Eve is a big event in Taiwan, capped off by the fireworks display at Taipei 101. Unfortunately, big events lead to big crowds that end up clogging the streets and messing up your celebratory schedule.
Here’s a list of changes to traffic regulations and public transport on New Year’s Eve so you can spend less time wading through the crowds and more time wading through champagne.
Here is a map of the main event area (unfortunately, an English version of the map has not been made available on the Taipei City Government’s website):
Photo Credit: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
Public Transportation
MRT
Photo Credit: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
- 24-hour non-stop MRT operations on New Year’s Eve.
- Xiaobitan and Xinbeitou lines will operate until midnight.
Buses and after-event shuttles
Photo Credit: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
- To control traffic for the New Year’s Eve event, buses will detour starting Dec. 25, 2015 (Fri) at 22:00 to Jan. 2, 2016 (Sat) at 06:00.
- There will be an after-event shuttle bus operating on New Year’s Eve, charging the same fare as normal buses. Three shuttles will operate, leaving the main event area and heading towards: 1. Taipei Main Station 2. Liuzhangli Station, Gongguan Station 3. Taipei Zoo Station, Jingmei Station, Xindian Station
YouBike
Photo Credit: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
- YouBikes will be prohibited within the control area starting 17:00 on Dec. 31.
- From 17:00 on Dec. 31 to 03:00 on Jan. 1, operations will be suspended at the following YouBike stations : Taipei City Hall, Citizen Square, Xingya Jr. High School, TWTC Exhibition Hall 2, Xinyi Square (Taipei 101), TWTC Exhibition Hall 3, Emergency Operations Center of Taipei City, Sanchangli, Zhongqiang Park, MRT Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station, MRT Xiangshan Station, Renai & Yixian Intersection and Songde Park.
- From 19:00 on Dec. 31 to 03:00 on Jan. 1, operations will be suspended at the following YouBike stations: MRT Taipei City Hall Station (Exit 3), MRT SYS Memorial Hall Station (Exit 2), MRT Xinyi-Anhe Station, Keelung & Guangfu intersection, Songde, Taipei Medical University and Renai & Yanji intersection.
Traffic Controls
Leading up to NYE
Dec. 28 (Mon) from 00:00 – Jan. 2 (Sat) 06:00
Shifu (between Songshou Road and Songgao Road.), New Ren’ai Road closed.
On NYE
Photo Credit: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
The Taipei City Government will be implementing three-stage traffic control on New Year’s Eve, expanding the controlled area outwards as the night progresses.
1. 19:00 – 20:00 (Green zone)
- Vehicles are exit only.
- Traffic controls west of Songren Road, south of Zhongxiao East Road, north of Xinyi Road and east of the Yixian Road and Keelung Road areas.
2. 20:00 – 22:00 (Orange zone)
- Vehicles are prohibited within the orange area.
- Traffic controls expand to Yixian Road and Ren’ai Road.
- Traffic controls start on Keelung Road underpass.
3. Dec. 31 (Thu) 22:00 – Jan. 1 (Fri) 03:00 (Blue zone)
- Vehicles are prohibited within blue area.
- Traffic controls east of Guangfu South Road, south of Zhongxiao East Road, north of Xinyi Road and Zhuangjing Road, west of Lane 236, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, Songde Road and Songren Road.
- Traffic controls in the slow lane of on the north side of Xinyi Road (between Keelung Road and Guangfu South Road).
- Vehicles can leave the city by taking the Xinyi Expressway; entry vehicles will only be allowed to turn right on Songde Road or left on City Hall Road and go around the control area.
Parking
Public and private parking lots within the traffic control area will be exit only starting from 19:00 on Dec. 31. There will be traffic controls for both entry and exit starting from 20:00 and 22:00. There will be changes to parking in several areas from 17:00 on Dec. 31 to 03:00 on Jan 1 in the following areas:
- No street or temporary parking east of Guangfu South Road (between Keelung Road and Wenchang Street) except for buses.
- No temporary parking on the slow lane on the north and south sides of Ren’ai Road (between Yanji Street and Dunhua South Road) except buses.
- No temporary parking west of Keelung Road Section 2 (between Wenchang Street and Guangfu South Road) except buses.
- No street or temporary parking for cars, scooters or unloading west of Songde Road (between Xinyi Road and Hulin Street) except buses.
- No street parking on Yanji Street (between Civic Boulevard and Xinyi Road); Songxin Road (between Songlong Road and Zhongxiao East Road); Lane 236, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road (between Zhongxiao East Road and Lane 168, Songde Road); and Lane 168, Songde Road (between Songde Road and Lane 236, Section. 5, Zhongxiao East Road).
- There will be no street parking for cars or scooters within the control area of Guangfu South Road, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi Road, Songren Road and Songzhi Road.
Public parking monthly passes can be purchased starting Dec. 25. Notices will be posted at the parking lot entrances inside and out.
Traffic Control in Surrounding Areas on NYE
1. Rainbow Riverside Park
Take the Minquan pedestrian underpass and pedestrian bridge to go to the Rainbow Riverside Park. Do not walk across Tiding Boulevard.
2. Maokong area
The last buses (Small 10, Brown 15) passing through the Maokong area will operate until 02:00 on Jan. 1.
The Maokong Gondola will operate until 02:00 on Jan. 1.
3. Four Beast Mountains
Traffic controls on Songde Road in front of the Songde building and Fude Street in front of the Tsu Huei Temple intersection .
4. Xinyi Road and Keelung Road intersection passenger bridge
No entry between 22:00 on 2015/12/31 and 01:00 on 2016/1/1.
The News Lens international edition has been authorized to repost this article. The original piece was published on City543 here: Here’s How Not To Get Stuck in Taipei’s Xinyi District On New Year’s Eve
First Editor: Olivia Yang
Second Editor: Joey Chung
Sources: Taipei NYE Official Event Page
