讀後心得

Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an announced the demolition of the Gongguan Roundabout, aiming to reduce motor vehicle accidents, as this intersection has been a hotspot for accidents for seven consecutive years. Traffic expert YouTuber "Cheap" has raised questions about the new design, believing there is still room for improvement. Deputy Mayor Lee Shih-chuan emphasized that the aim is to restore a grid intersection to solve traffic issues. The city government stated that the demolition of the roundabout is based on safety considerations and will work on improving the flow of pedestrians and vehicles.

The Taipei City Government has decided to dismantle the Gongguan Roundabout, sparking heated discussions among netizens. The Gongguan Roundabout has been the number one hotspot for accidents in Taipei over the past seven years. The mayor announced today (the 25th) that this action aims to reduce vehicle accidents. However, regarding the new planning configuration map, a well-known YouTuber who has long focused on traffic issues could not help but question whether the Taipei City Government's traffic unit possesses the professional ability. The Taipei City Transportation Bureau later clarified that the map is merely foundational data for the city's discussions and not the final planning map. The mayor emphasized that safety is the city government's primary consideration, stating that the design of the roundabout is prone to accidents and poses a danger to pedestrians crossing the street. After research by relevant agencies and professional units, the city government decided to proceed with the demolition. The deputy mayor indicated that addressing the roundabout's accident issues takes priority and that in the future, underground tunnels will be filled in to restore orthogonal intersections, fundamentally solving the traffic accident problem.

In response, the well-known YouTuber expressed opinions on social media, stating that while learning about the demolition of this historically problematic roundabout was initially good news, he was surprised to find that the new configuration map still prohibits motorcycle access and mandates two-stage left turns. He criticized this design as undeniably a "brain-dead, low-intelligence garbage roundabout," mentioning that many roundabouts overseas, such as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, do not require traffic lights at all and allow traffic to flow very smoothly. In contrast, roundabouts in Taiwan require waiting for traffic lights and performing two-stage left turns, creating unnecessary difficulties. He questioned whether this was a deliberate design to increase fines since the Gongguan Roundabout could issue 5,000 tickets within a year.

With the dismantling of the Gongguan Roundabout imminent, the well-known YouTuber, after reviewing the design map released by Deputy Mayor Lee, expressed astonishment by stating, "Will this change really make things better? If we could remove the motorcycle ban and two-stage left turns, it would be much better!" In this regard, many netizens and traffic groups have commented on the mayor's and deputy mayor's social media pages, urging the city government not to make unreasonable traffic changes and to adopt more practical traffic regulations and signs so that road users in Taiwan can correctly utilize the roundabout. In response to external discussions, the Taipei City Transportation Bureau emphasized that Deputy Mayor Lee's proposal is based on last year's simulation planning sketch and has not become the final plan. The Transportation Bureau also explained that the aim of the study is to reduce traffic congestion, prioritizing safety, and that after assessment, dismantling the roundabout can effectively lower accidents and enhance traffic safety.