According to Kaohsiung City‘s current CO2 emissions portfolio, the transport sector ranks third in total emissions (6.2 percent). The city, however, has the highest per capita emissions (22.3 tons/per capital/year) in the state. In order to achieve its goal of reducing emissions by 30 percent by 2020 (compared to 2005 levels), Kaohsiung intends to introduce the following initiatives:

• provision of an integrated and energy efficient public transportation mix
• improvement of public transportation usage rates
• creation of enhanced walking and cycling paths
• reduction of the CO2 emissions of current transportation and station facilities

In addition to these initiatives, Kaohsiung has implemented state-of-the-art Integrated Transport Systems (ITS) to reach its low-carbon emission goals. Since construction began in 2000, the ITS infrastructure has expanded considerably.

Consequently, popularity for public transportation alternatives has grown as well: the number of public transportation network users tripled between 2007 and 2012.

To provide residents and visitors with seamless public transport services, Kaohsiung orients its public transportation system according to its population density through the use of the five major public transport systems – Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), Metro Rail Transit (MRT), shuttle buses and DRT (Demand Responsive Transit). The first three systems, BRT, MRT, LRT, together with a public bicycle sharing system, form Kaohsiung city’s eco-mobile framework.

Kaohsiung Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

In order to provide more energy-efficient service, the Kaohsiung City government undertook the development of two bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in 2012 by making improvements to the existing bus infrastructure, vehicles, and scheduling. The city has optimized its bus route network, set up new routes for sight-seeing ferries, and made use of the tourism infrastructure within the river and harbor districts in order to offer better-quality bus and ferry services. The accessibility of transport opportunities has been enhanced through an increase in the quantity of shuttle-bus routes, which have doubled in number from 25 to 50. The bus-stop distribution of the downtown area has been structured so that no bus-stop is further than 5 minutes away, regardless of location. Moreover, buses depart every 10 minutes during peak traffic hours, and the new BRT’s guarantee a maximum travel time of 30-minutes to any destination.

The successful enhancement of infrastructure and technology constituted half of the Kaohsiung City eco-mobility strategy; however, finding creative ways to increase transportation usage amongst residents was equally as important. A key component of this included making transport as accessible as possible. Incentives including: special fares and free transfers, innovative “iPass” tickets, the “iBus” smartphone application, and the dissemination of time tables all combined to make public transport both attractive and accessible. The result of these efforts included a 7 percent increase in ridership in 2013.

Kaohsiung’s Light Rail Transit (LRT)

Project Among the five major public transportation systems, the LRT and Express Buses are under development as pilot systems to serve the growing population. Phase I of the Circular Light Rail Line (also known as the Kaohsiung LRT or, Kaohsiung Tram) has been under construction since 2013, and is scheduled to open in mid- 2015. An estimated budget of NTD 16.5 billion (approximately USD 550 million) was allotted to complete the project.

Public Bike Rental System

Kaohsiung recognizes the importance of cycling in cities, and thus promotes bicycles as a low carbon transportation method for commuting to work, as well as championing their considerable applications in regard to health and fitness, leisure and travel. Yet although Kaohsiung has been internationally recognized as one of the “5 best biking cities in Asia” (CNN, 2010), in 2012, only 5.4 percent of residents (mostly students) were using bicycles on a daily basis.

In order to increase the appeal of bicycling as a viable alternative to short motorized trips, Kaohsiung City launched its public-use rental system in 2009, making it the first city in Taiwan to set up a self-service bike rental system. The rental service is managed through a public-private partnership between the City and the MRT company. The City plans to increase the amount of bike lanes to 1,000 km in the near future, making it easier and safer for all bike users. In addition, the Kaohsiung City Public Bike launched the “Kaohsiung Public Bike Easy Go” smartphone application in February 2012, offering users a real-time overview of the conditions at every rental station location, along with social media and text services. By the end of 2013, 160 rental stations had been installed, extending the city’s network from 6km to 13km and providing for 6,742 trips per day. By 2015, the total distance of bicycle routes is planned to exceed 740 km and serve over 10 percent of the population.

Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT)

(see ESCI KSP write-up)

System Kaohsiung City recognizes the importance of linking transport systems in an integrated method. Therefore, in 2008, the City developed the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) system to ensure that both residents and tourists could travel from point-A to point-B without having to rely on private transportation.

The KMRT system is currently made up of 39 stations dispersed over two metro lines, covering a total distance of 42.7 km. In addition, the KMRT connects to numerous major transportation networks including: the BRT, railways, high speed rails, harbors for both cruise and cargo ships, and the international airport.

Several of the 39 KMRT stations have received international recognition: the Formosa Boulevard Station and Central Park Station have been honored in both the “50 most beautiful subway stations in the world” (Metrobits, 2011) and the “Top 15 most beautiful subway stations in the world” (BootsnAll, 2012). In February of 2013, the number of average daily passengers on the KMRT system was approximately 190,690. Moreover, on New Year’s Eve in 2012, the system transported 472,378 passengers. The goal is to increase resident use from a current 18.1 to 36 percent by 2018.