Chiayi Opens Underground Smart Parking at Jiabei Elementary School

Chiayi City has inaugurated a new underground parking facility at Jiabei Elementary School, providing 218 smart parking spaces to address the city's parking needs and enhance school commute safety. The NT$377 million project, with significant central government funding, broke ground in June 2022 and features two underground levels.

The facility moves the school's "drive-thru" pick-up and drop-off area underground, allowing parents to enter directly and reducing on-street parking issues. Natural light and ventilation are introduced through open spaces and skylights. The design also incorporates rainwater harvesting and flood control systems, alongside smart features such as license plate recognition, parking space detection, and a smart car finder system.

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The Jiabei Elementary School underground parking lot starts from the needs of children and parents. The original 'drive-thru' pick-up and drop-off lane is moved underground, and parents can directly enter the underground pick-up and drop-off area, reducing the problem of temporary parking.

Mayor Huang Min-hui highlighted the project's focus on the needs of children and parents. The integration of the parking facility also involved redesigning the ground-level campus. The school's playground area has been elevated, and accessibility features and green spaces have been added, ensuring the parking structure blends seamlessly with the campus and surrounding community.

Yun-Chia-Nan Highway Bureau chief Huang Wei-lung noted the project's role in improving local parking and traffic, creating a safer campus environment, and facilitating a convenient pick-up and drop-off experience. He also pointed to potential benefits for nearby commercial areas. The city's Department of Transportation director, Lu Chiang-hui, detailed how the design minimizes the impact of entrances and exits on the campus and community, while also integrating existing structures like motorcycle sheds and enhancing open campus spaces with seasonal greenery.

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The Jiabei Elementary School underground parking lot is a priority parking construction project for the city government. Through overall planning and investment, it effectively improves local parking and traffic problems, provides students with a safer and more comfortable campus activity space, and creates a convenient environment for parents to pick up and drop off children, while also improving surrounding traffic order and driving the development of nearby commercial areas.