Kenting New Traffic Plan: Smart Signals, Lane Reversals, Night Pedestrian Zone

On Nov. 28, the Pingtung County Police Bureau [屏東縣警察局] rolled out a holiday traffic playbook for Taiwan’s southern tourist corridor, pairing smart signals and CMS alerts with targeted lane reversals and a night pedestrian zone on Kenting Street [墾丁大街].

The plan targets Provincial Highways 1, 17 and 26, including the coastal Pingtung–Eluanbi corridor often called the Ping-E Road. Police will lengthen green times with an adaptive system, push real-time messages on changeable message signs, and deploy mobile units at key junctions. Kenting [墾丁] will get people-vehicle separation at peak times and a stricter crackdown on illegal parking, with the main drag shifting to pedestrians at night.

What’s new on Kenting Street

Pingtung County completed a NT$50 million, 1.41-kilometer pedestrian-space upgrade on Kenting Street in August. The project added 12 color-coded geometric temporary parking zones. Vehicles may stop for up to 20 minutes by day, but from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. the curb space converts to a pedestrian route. During crowded holiday evenings, police in Hengchun [恆春] can activate a full pedestrian zone and manage people-vehicle separation, with detours via Checheng [車城] and Nanwan [南灣]. Details here and here.

Adaptive signals, CMS, and rapid clearance

Police say smart signals will detect surges and extend greens to move more cars through chokepoints. CMS boards will broadcast live congestion and detour guidance, backed by drone views, radio updates and a rapid-clearance squad to cut secondary jams. Agency briefings describe the system as routine for long weekends.

Lane reversals at bottlenecks

Reversible-lane tactics remain central. Southbound surges can trigger a reversal on Provincial Highway 1 between kilometer 436.5 and 445.5 near Shuidiliao [水底寮]. For northbound return peaks, police have previously flipped lanes between Fenggang [楓港] and Fangshan [枋山] at 453 to 460K. “Northbound inside lane opened to southbound traffic; traffic order was good,” said Fangliao [枋寮] Precinct’s Lin Ming-huang in September. (original quote trimmed) Source, background.

When to travel and how to detour

Holiday data show sharp morning increases. On April 3, 2025, more than 18,000 vehicles passed Shuidiliao by 10 a.m., including 3,154 from 7 to 8 a.m. and more than 3,500 from 8 to 9 a.m. Drivers should time arrivals outside early morning southbound and afternoon northbound peaks, use outer parking with shuttles, and follow CMS instructions to divert via Provincial Highway 17 or County Route 185 when directed. Traffic center figures.

One claim circulating that 1 to 4 a.m. is consistently the worst return window is not confirmed by publicly available police statistics. Authorities typically warn of morning and evening peaks, and advise checking live dashboards before departure.

Why it matters

The southbound corridor to Kenting is capacity constrained, and holiday traffic can stall at known chokepoints. Pairing smart signals, CMS alerts and reversible lanes with night pedestrian rules aims to lift vehicle throughput while making evening strolls safer. Kenting National Park drew about 2.07 million visitors in 2024, with demand increasingly concentrated in short bursts on long weekends. The police plan tries to spread flows, keep curbs clear for walkers and deliveries, and reduce crash risk in crowded nighttime hours

Statistics

Zoom-out

Taiwan has pushed toward pedestrian-first road safety since late 2023 legislative changes. Kenting no longer dominates national park visitation like it once did, so growth relies on experience quality and safety. That context helps explain Pingtung’s mix of flexible lane control, live information and night walking space, alongside stricter enforcement on slow-vehicle lanes and curb use. For visitors, the best gains come from timing and compliance. For merchants, daytime loading and clear night routes keep shoppers moving.