DASHE District Office Kaohsiung City

Enhancement of Pedestrian Safety along the East Circular Section of the Kaohsiung Light Rail

【Kaohsiung News】The East Circular Section of the Kaohsiung Light Rail is almost completed and opening to traffic. In order to foster a friendly environment that facilitates walkability for city residents, the Transportation Bureau has installed additional eye-catching green cross walks and marking-type sidewalks along the light rail route. In addition, sophisticated pedestrian signals have been introduced to ensure pedestrian safety when crossing roads.
    According to the Transportation Bureau, twelve green crosswalks have been planned along the light rail stations of the East Circular Section of the Kaohsiung Light Rail and the surrounding schools. The Transportation Bureau has designated green cross walks at 12 road intersections and corners, as well as the installation of 27 pedestrian islands, to ensure pedestrian safety when stopping at and passing through intersections. This aids in the direction and correction of cars turning at intersections, allowing for a more seamless connection to physical sidewalk constructions later on.

    The intersection signals on the East Circular Section of the Kaohsiung Light Rail have also been upgraded, with new controllers installed. Simultaneously, communication and amplification pedestrian signals have been installed in 30 locations. This type of signal differs from traditional learning signals in that it can instantly display the remaining time for pedestrians to pass. This eliminates the need to wait two to three cycles for the remaining seconds to be displayed when pedestrian signal seconds are switching at intersections, improving efficiency and safety when crossing intersections.

    According to the Transportation Bureau, pedestrian signals along intersections have been upgraded to the amplification type in order to increase visibility and further improve pedestrian safety. The Transportation Bureau has specifically designed leading pedestrian intervals in nine locations, such as T-intersections, schools, and the periphery of malls, among others, to give pedestrians priority over vehicles when the green light turns on. The intertwining of vehicles and pedestrians can be reduced, lowering the risk of an accident.

    In order to provide pedestrians with a safe and comfortable environment for passage, the Transportation Bureau will also dynamically adjust signal timing based on traffic flow at stations and road interactions once the light rail officially begins operation.