Yilan Road Project Sparks Resident Backlash; Speaker Urges Revisions

Residents along Yilan City's Donggang Road are pushing back against a recent "people-oriented road improvement project." While intended to enhance pedestrian safety, the construction has created significant disruptions for locals. The core of the complaint lies in the 15-centimeter elevation of the new sidewalks, which effectively creates a "physical threshold" blocking motorcycles from being wheeled into homes or under existing overhangs. This forces residents to park on the street, creating new problems.

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Public projects are most afraid of 'only looking at blueprints, not the actual site.'

Beyond the parking issue, residents and business owners report that the uneven sidewalk widths interfere with daily routines and commercial activities. The road's width has also been reduced from two-and-a-half lanes to just one-and-a-half lanes to accommodate new parking spaces. This narrowing poses safety risks for residents entering and exiting their homes, hinders the turning of vehicles, and complicates passage for larger vehicles like garbage trucks and ambulances. Elderly residents using mobility scooters are also forced into closer proximity with traffic, increasing their risk.

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The core of a people-oriented road is to balance 'pedestrian safety' and 'resident convenience.'

County Speaker Zhang Sheng-de visited the site and stressed that a people-oriented road should prioritize both pedestrian safety and resident convenience. He criticized the approach of "only looking at blueprints, not the actual site" and demanded that the Yilan City Office and the Highway Bureau promptly present a revised plan. Zhang called for a review of sidewalk height, motorcycle access, resident entrances, and parking arrangements. He urged authorities to integrate public feedback and provide a timeline for improvements, stating that "projects can be revised, but public opinion cannot be ignored." The goal, he emphasized, is to find a balance between pedestrian rights and residents' needs, preventing well-intentioned policies from becoming a daily nightmare.

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Projects can be revised, but public opinion cannot be ignored.