First 'Street Doctor' Project Completed: Sidewalks on Taipei's Anju Street Receive Praise

(CNA Reporter Chen Yu-ting, Taipei, 23rd) After nearly two years of promotion, Anju Street in Taipei has become the first completed case of the National Land Management Agency's Street Doctor Project under the Ministry of the Interior. Sidewalks have been established on both sides of the road, and motorcycle parking spaces and staggered parking areas have been increased, creating orderly movement for both pedestrians and vehicles, with a public satisfaction rate reaching 70%.

In 2024 (Republic of China year 113), the National Land Management Agency promoted the first phase of the 'Citizen Participatory Street Improvement Platform' (Street Doctor Project). Anju Street in Daan District, Taipei, was voted by citizens as one of the priority road sections for improvement. After nearly two years of planning, communication, and construction, it has become the first completed case nationwide.

The Taipei City Department of Transportation held a press conference today to share the results. Tsai Yi-chiang, head of the Urban Infrastructure Engineering Division of the National Land Management Agency, presented plaques to Lixiao Borough Warden Fang Ding-hui and Liyuan Borough Warden Su Wei-bin.

The Department of Transportation explained that Anju Street, adjacent to the Bailan Market, is a typical highly mixed residential-commercial street. Before the renovation, there was no safe pedestrian space in either direction. The abundance of shops and street vendors often resulted in obstacles on the roadside, leading pedestrians to cross the street randomly and vie for space with vehicles.

Through road reshaping and spatial reallocation, the approximately 11-meter-wide Anju Street now features sidewalks on both sides, adding about 2,000 square meters of pedestrian space and 31 crosswalks. Concurrently, motorcycle parking spaces and one shared temporary parking zone were added. Coupled with staggered parking configurations and pushed-out street corners, the flow of pedestrians and vehicles is now orderly.

Furthermore, the Department of Transportation stated that dozens of site inspections were held before construction began. Relying on high resident participation, immense support from the borough wardens, and self-funded budget from the city government, it successfully became the first completed Street Doctor Project nationwide, with 70% satisfaction.

Fang Ding-hui recalled that when he first learned of the project, he and his constituents strongly opposed it. However, officials from the DOT and the New Construction Office continuously visited the site to explain, accompanied by DPP City Councilor Wang Min-sheng and former Councilor Chao Yi-hsiang, visiting door-to-door, which finally allowed the project to commence.

Fang said, "That award should go to them, not me. They worked the hardest." He also suggested that Taipei has many more roads needing improvement and must follow this experience to earnestly listen to local voices.

The New Construction Office stated that the two-way length of Anju Street is about 1 kilometer, and the construction cost of NT$17.1 million was fully covered by the city government. The DOT mentioned that Zhinan Road will be renovated next, which is currently in the planning stage and is expected to be fully subsidized by the National Land Management Agency. (Editor: Wu Su-jou) 1150423