By KHT Staff KAOHSIUNG — The Water Resources Bureau (水利局) has begun work on a NT$50 million upgrade to the Chengcing Lake…

The proposed stop is part of the city’s plan to extend railway grade-separation work toward Ciaotou (橋頭) and Daliao (大寮). The broader project is expected to cost more than NT$100 billion and includes two proposed commuter stations: TSMC Station and Ciaotou Qingpu Station (橋頭青埔站).

The redesigned plaza uses a “splashing water drop” concept, with layered planting to increase greenery. Its central area incorporates the image of the old Yancheng Traffic Circle through a feature called the Yancheng Cool Ring (鹽埕酷環), which combines misting facilities, stepped seating, and varied terrain.

Kaohsiung has many low-floor buses, but a spokesperson for an advocacy group says the bus stops themselves often do not match the needs of passengers. City Councilor Chiu Chun-hsien (邱俊憲) said that hospital bus stops may technically meet accessibility rules, but officials should also consider how passengers actually use them.

The site is within walking distance of Zuoying Station and a short drive from the HSR, Taiwan Railways, and Kaohsiung Metro transfer area at Zuoying, giving it one of the strongest transport locations in the city.

The project aimed to facilitate transfers between HSR and the Kaohsiung Metro. Passengers currently have to travel from the HSR platform level to the second-floor concourse, exit the station, then use escalators to reach the MRT station underground. The transfer can take nearly 10 minutes.

According to recent reporting, there are estimates that by 2051, daily passenger volume at the future HSR Pingtung station could exceed 7,000, with peak-hour traffic approaching 900 passengers. Supporters say the project would improve access to Pingtung and support wider development around the future station. But the latest traffic projections show that the benefits of high-speed rail will depend not only on the rail line itself, but also on whether local roads and connecting transport can keep pace.

The bridge began as a temporary railway bridge built in 2009 during Kaohsiung’s railway undergrounding project. After trains were moved underground in 2018, the tracks and overhead wires were removed, and the structure was converted into a riverside landscape bridge in 2021. Its planned removal now shows how the THSR extension is not just a regional transportation project, but a major urban construction challenge for Kaohsiung.

City Government launches public urban renewal project in Zuoying District’s Guomao area (左營果貿), with plans to attract NT$14.6 billion in investment and build five buildings.

The group said self-driving vehicles are unlikely to replace a city’s main public transportation network, but could improve first- and last-mile connections. It said city agencies would need to coordinate over the next two years on how robotaxis could serve major transit and tourism hubs, including the airport, harbor, rail stations, and visitor destinations.