People-centric smart transportation city

Foreign media described Taiwan as a “pedestrian hell”. Has it become a daily routine for Taiwanese people?

Text/ Agnes Chen, Richard Lee Pics/ ShutterStock, MotionElements

The “people-oriented smart transportation city”
aims to use technology to assist in the development of transportation systems while
taking into account environmental protection and people’s personal and property safety,

thereby improving the quality of life and achieving
a “convenient, efficient, green and safe” transportation environment.

---

Specific measures for traffic management at home and abroad

　　In the process of implementing “convenience and efficiency”, many European countries have started with infrastructure construction. The plan for the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) was launched, aiming to improve the operational efficiency and safety of the road network through real-time monitoring of the transportation system and system scheduling according to different situations. For example, the “Advanced Traffic Management System” collects data related to traffic conditions, formulates traffic control strategies, and implements measures such as signal control, speed control, electronic toll collection, and high-occupancy control to improve the traffic conditions of this road section. Off-peak practicality, the “Advanced Traveler Information System” allows you to learn the latest traffic information, public transportation routes, etc. through mobile phone software in advance, and the “Advanced Vehicle Control and Safety System” Vehicle Control and Safety System, Advanced Public Transportation System, and Commercial Vehicle Operation also use the concepts of vehicle monitoring and remote management to improve the efficiency of the transportation environment.

　　In actual urban cases in Taiwan, big data technology has also been gradually implemented to analyze traffic flow, predict traffic congestion, provide more effective traffic management and guidance, and provide citizens with more intelligence and convenience through smart street lights, smart parking, etc. travel experience.

Further reading  ⮩Expressway Bureau of the Ministry of Transport – Introduction to Intelligent Transportation System ITS 

The new mobile thinking must be green and safe

　　The new global mobility thinking is to improve mobility efficiency through intelligent system management. The new way of thinking about mobility is to move the most people, not just the most cars.

　　In the past, when the most mobile cars were considered as the main construction of the city, houses had to be demolished and expropriated continuously to make room for more cars to move and park. Therefore, cities are getting bigger and bigger, and roads are getting wider and wider. But in the old city, the passage and parking of cars, motorcycles, and bicycles are squeezed into the original two-lane “road.” Taiwanese cities have unique arcades that protect pedestrian space from rain. However, due to many unmanageable roadblocks, uneven roads, and vendors working under the arcades, pedestrians are forced to walk directly into the driveway and calmly fight for their lives in the old city. “Pedestrian hell”.

　　The checkerboard format of urban road planning itself is a nightmare for traffic planners. As the economy grows, the number of cars and motorcycles continues to increase, and the speed of expanding roads and adding parking spaces is far behind the pace of demolishing houses to build buildings with enough parking spaces and multi-lane roads to accommodate more cars. Every intersection and every entrance and exit of a building is a potential bottleneck. The fastest way is to use one-way streets to clear traffic flow, reducing the need for clearing traffic in three directions at each intersection, and at the same time, vertically on the same plane, there are constantly flowing pedestrians. Even if Taipei’s urban development is relatively recent, its three main arterial roads, no matter how many guards are used and expandable lanes are added, and even with the addition of smart transportation systems, commuting congestion will always be difficult to improve.

　　Of course, in order to move the most people, urban renewal in Greater Taipei, which has a high population density, requires not only the MRT network to form a dense and convenient road network, but also the development of a new TOD regional center intertwined with at least two MRT lines. The flow of people and vehicles needs to be decentralized in Greater Taipei. Each regional center has a multi-satellite design with shopping malls, office buildings, and residences on the periphery. After get off work, the MRT network connects to further residences. This is also called TOD vertical urban development. Whether it is the sky bridge connecting underground shopping malls or high-rise buildings in an MRT station, it is a safe pedestrian space that can separate people and vehicles. Japan’s most famous and historic Tsukiji has moved to Toyosu’s new distribution center. From the subway station, there is an aerial walkway surrounding several large high-ceiling market buildings with a wide distance between the buildings. The ground is left for commercial vehicles to shuttle and load goods. . In the Xinyi District of Taipei City, there were no regulations in the early days that allowed pedestrians to erect aerial bridges without landing on the ground. Now, they have gradually developed aerial walkways in the Xinyi business district on Zhongxiao East Road and Xinyi Road that allow pedestrians to do so without landing on the ground and competing with cars.

　　Since the largest number of people are to be transported, urban road planning requires more walking space. The current TOD development in Taipei City is within 500 meters of the MRT station, greatly improving pedestrian-friendly walking space and strengthening cleaning and maintenance. People are encouraged to walk or ride Youbike more often. These initial measures to separate pedestrians and vehicles can, firstly, separate the space used by pedestrians and cars and motorcycles, reducing the risk of collisions between pedestrians and vehicles. Secondly, they can increase public transportation, reduce the use of private cars, and reduce carbon emissions. To reduce the number of private cars, some countries even use high taxes and auction of usage rights to curb the phenomenon of mass car ownership. For example: Singapore is a small and densely populated country. In order to alleviate the problem of traffic congestion, the government has implemented license plate quotas. The system’s “Certificate of Ownership” not only has a ten-year period of use, but compared with buying a car in Taiwan, you may have to pay 40% to 50% more of the original price for the same car.

　　Copenhagen, Denmark, is a city dominated by pedestrians. The city government has created a safe, comfortable and convenient pedestrian environment through measures such as building pedestrian streets, widening sidewalks, and improving pedestrian safety. Citizens can freely walk, rest and shop in these pedestrian areas and enjoy the charm and culture of the city.

Educate people on the idea that “your convenience is everyone else’s inconvenience”

　　Just shouting “Be courteous to pedestrians” cannot completely solve the problem of “pedestrian hell”. Every pedestrian is also a user of at least one means of transportation. Only by fully considering the needs and interests of every citizen, integrating research results from related industries, and cultivating road usage literacy can we create a safe and green mobility system. new city.

　　On a humanistic basis, how the transportation industry can integrate more industries, promote intelligence, and create mobility that is both “convenient, efficient, green and safe” can include the following approaches:

Path 1: Automated intelligent driving that is more integrated into life

No matter which mode of transportation is used, ensuring the safety of life and property of the public is the basic right to use the road. With the assistance of ever-changing technology, the development of global autonomous driving is in a stage of rapid growth. Many automobile manufacturers, technology companies, start-ups and Government agencies have invested a lot of resources and energy in related technology research and development and application practice.

　　Vehicle assistance that we often hear about: including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Automatic Parking System (APS), etc., are all still needed Level 2 autonomous driving that requires human operation.

　　However, in recent years, technologies such as fully automated smart driving in specific scenarios, such as driverless vehicles and logistics automation, have gradually matured. Chen Weilong, chairman of Taiwan Intelligent Driving Turing Drive, said: “Transportation (should) serve people, not cars and motorcycles.”

　　Taiwan’s development in the field of autonomous driving is due to differences in environment and people’s road usage habits. Society often regards motorcycles and bicycles as an extension of the efficiency of road users. Pedestrians have long been accustomed to being vulnerable road users. Although “you care about your own life”, while enjoying the convenience of transportation behind the driver’s seat, can the driver also take into account the rights and interests of other road users? The design of autonomous driving is oriented towards self-use road safety, and will also take into account Others use rights of way to design systems.

Moving toward fully automated smart driving naturally not only mainly meets safety needs, but also allows people to have more interactive life experiences with others while using the road, and hands over the “driving” function to “smart transportation tools”. and system”.

　　However, since urban transformation is time-consuming and time-consuming, the short-term solution for “self-driving” is to find a closed field to implement “technical” testing, so that the existing “self-driving” technology will not be difficult to implement due to constant road conditions in urban areas. . Therefore, in recent years, Taiwanese smart driving companies have targeted product development in slow-speed transportation vehicles in limited areas, such as resorts and golf courses. They use technology to improve convenience while also reducing the burden on the environment. They are testing autonomous vehicles. Driving makes it more life-like.

　　Taiwan Smart Driving hopes to achieve a balance between “safe transportation” and “experience life” in system software design. Providing people with another free choice of transportation mode, the goal is to give everyone more mobility options. Chairman Chen also emphasized: “Another difficulty faced by autonomous driving technology is laws, regulations and safety issues. Self-driving vehicles on the road need to comply with corresponding laws, regulations and technical standards, such as the issue of liability in the event of a collision or traffic dispute. There are no complete supporting measures yet, which requires corresponding planning and management by the government and relevant agencies, because the development of autonomous driving technology will have a profound impact on future transportation methods, urban planning, and energy consumption.”

　　Constructing a smart transportation city is the future trend. It is not only the application of technology in the transportation field to improve efficiency, but more importantly, it is to make the environment move in the direction of sustainability. If urban renewal can separate pedestrians and lanes on different planes, the safe use of autonomous driving will be wider. As a large-area parking system, unmanned autonomous driving can reduce the crowding situation where people rush to park vehicles or park them randomly at convenient entrances for convenience and timeliness. Developing underground pedestrian trails 500 meters around the MRT station, or directly connecting the sky bridge above the second floor of the shopping mall office building to the building across the street are incentives that can be added during urban renewal.

“Sharing” thinking is the long-term solution for sustainable smart transportation cities

　　Is it possible in the short term to enhance the concept of circular economy: ‘sharing instead of owning? 』. Regarding the concept of separate lanes for pedestrians and vehicles, Chairman Chen reminded: “(Slowing down) the speed of the road can significantly improve the safety factor and encourage people to use transportation with a shared mindset, rather than every household having to do so. own vehicle.”

Further reading ⮩  SAE Levels of Driving Automation  ^TM    Refined for Clarity and International Audience

Extended reading⮩Taiwan Smart Driving Co., Ltd.

                  Taking the autonomous driving system as the starting point, we develop key perception, positioning, navigation, vehicle control, and cloud through autonomous driving operations, and provide commercial professional system design services.

Path 2: Automated intelligent driving that is more integrated into life

In recent years, the Taiwanese government has actively promoted the popularization of electric vehicles. Whether it is cars or motorcycles, it has introduced subsidy policies to encourage purchase and expand charging infrastructure. Tax exemptions for electric vehicles have been implemented since 2013, and green license plates for electric vehicles have been implemented since 2017 to further encourage people to use electric vehicles. Currently, more than 2,000 charging stations have been built across Taiwan, and the number continues to increase. In addition, the government not only supports electric private cars, but also continues to keep pace with international trends in the field of mass transportation. The Ministry of Transport has proposed a policy to fully electrify urban buses by 2030, and the target is that 35% of urban buses will be electrified by 2025, and at the same time stop Scheme to subsidize diesel vehicles. The subsidy amount for each electric bus can reach NT$3.7 million. The subsidy is used as an incentive to encourage operators to accelerate the replacement of diesel vehicles and work towards “2050 net-zero emissions”.

　　The global consensus on zero carbon emissions promotes the transformation of mass transportation. London, England has launched an electric bus designed for passengers. The bus is 9 meters long and has a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It uses lithium-ion batteries and can travel 200 kilometers on a single charge. This electric bus has become a green brand in the local tourism industry, achieving a “work or relax” riding experience and making the moving process no longer boring.

The Taiwanese government is actively promoting new energy transportation combined with the sustainable development of Taiwan’s public transportation industry. ⮩  The main business of “Chengyun Group”, a member of the “Electric Bus National Team”, is the production and sales of electric buses. As a company that produces demonstration electric buses. Cheng Yun Group, which has been deeply rooted in Taiwan for 20 years, has the ability to handle everything from manufacturing, operation, maintenance, and component supply to ensure good quality in every aspect.

　　In order to accelerate Taiwan’s net-zero emission process, Cheng Yun’s goal is to deliver 288 electric buses to the domestic market this year, taking Taiwan’s Silicon Island smart electric bus dream a big step forward. In addition, Chengyun also continues to expand talents in the Dayuan R&D department and Pingtung Automobile Factory to improve mass production efficiency and expand its business internationally. The electric bus industrial park it invested and planned in Erlin, Changhua, is to gather the electric bus industry chain here, with the purpose of making the domestic electric bus industry reach another new peak.

　　According to statistics, there are still 16,000 fuel buses in Taiwan that are expected to be replaced by electric buses. Director Yang Chengxi: “Whether it is net-zero carbon emissions or the nationwide replacement of electric buses on the road, there must be a more complete and mature industrial chain, as well as internationalization. The ability to win orders. The role that the government can play is very important. In addition to loosening various policies and stabilizing and increasing subsidy energy, it also supports private companies in how to obtain reasonable stability as soon as possible in the highly competitive international market. order.”

　　Chengyun Automobile’s New Energy Business Department said: “Lithium batteries have certain risks when used improperly because lithium batteries contain four major elements: positive and negative electrodes, isolation membranes, and electrolytes. After the use temperature exceeds 60 degrees, the isolation membrane, electrolyte The liquid will gradually crack, which will cause a short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes, leading to a fire.

　　As for the SCiB battery used by Chengyun, the  negative electrode uses lithium titanate material (the industry currently uses graphite). Graphite can easily pierce the isolation film during rapid charging and discharging, while lithium titanate is superior in stability and safety. Guarantee is rarely adopted by the industry simply because of its high cost.

Chengyun Dianba Global Green Energy Demonstration Plant

　　In order to meet the global market demand, the Dianba Industrial Park has been established in Erlin, Zhongke Changhua, covering an area of ​​20 hectares. The goal is to establish Taiwan as one of the major global electric bus supply systems, with an estimated annual output of 10,000 KD parts. The park plans to include a R&D center, automated battery module and PACK production plants, automated beam manufacturing centers, body chassis plants and overseas shipping centers.

　　In order to cooperate with the policy of net-zero transformation, the Erlin new factory will also be planned, including the introduction of green energy equipment, automation systems and recycled material selection and other carbon reduction measures. At the same time, an automated system will be used to monitor energy use in the factory to find out where The factory will not only serve as a global R&D center but also become a “green energy demonstration factory”. While Chengyun actively expands overseas markets, it will copy this model to overseas assembly plants.

Extended reading ⮩  “Sidao Smart Electric Bus” has a promising future, technology and finance have invested in Chengyun Automobile

Path 3: Key power storage technologies that are indispensable for sustainable smart transportation

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the world’s leading semiconductor foundry manufacturer. The silicon wafers it produces belong to the first type of semiconductors (materials: silicon, germanium) and are widely used in microelectronic products such as personal computers and home appliances. With the popularization of 4G signals, the second type of semiconductor (materials: gallium arsenide, indium phosphide), although higher in cost than previous technologies, has higher efficiency and insulation, and has lower harmonics. Wave and noise reception can better cope with 4G signal applications with higher transmission volume and move towards higher-end 5G transmission services in the future.

　　The world’s major semiconductor foundries have also invested in the research and development and production of the third type of semiconductors (materials: gallium nitride, silicon carbide), which are more capable of withstanding high power and high frequency than the first and second types, and also have excellent heat dissipation. Ability, this type of material has more applications in the energy and communication fields. For example, gallium nitride is a good solar cell material, and silicon carbide can save energy in LED solid-state lighting.

　　Winbond Electronics Corporation is a leader in the field of gallium arsenide production, and the power amplifiers it produces account for up to 70% of the global market. Wenmao relies on its production technology advantages and market experience, as well as excellent quality management system and customer service, to provide important solutions and products for future high energy efficiency and high power applications. These factors have allowed Wenmao to become a leader in this type of wafer foundry, with business opportunities and capabilities in the fields of electric vehicles, communication equipment, and even space satellite communications.

　　Backed by excellent technology and returning to basic energy supply, ⮩Jie  Ming New Energy Co., Ltd. (Euka Power)  has emerged in the field of renewable energy and energy storage. According to statistics, Taiwan’s current energy structure is dominated by fossil energy, including oil, coal and natural gas, accounting for about 98% of the total energy. (Renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, wind power, solar energy and biomass, still account for a relatively low proportion of total energy consumption, accounting for only about 2%.) When natural disasters or force majeure accidents occur, you may face energy supply interruptions, Issues such as rising energy prices and damage to energy facilities caused by disasters make it a major challenge to test the city’s resilience to strengthen the ability to withstand energy loads when accidents occur. Jieming New Energy uses the original technology of Italian EEI to integrate products suitable for the needs of Taiwanese enterprises and power grids. With energy storage related equipment and technology as the core, it helps enterprises develop green energy and assists the government’s energy policies. Optimum benefits.

　　The practical applications of smart cities and what enterprises are concerned about mainly focus on the heavy electricity field (high-voltage, high-current power signals, used for power supply, power and control, etc.). These fields require a high degree of stability, safety and security. Reliability, as they are directly related to the safety of equipment and personnel. Zhang Jiren, general manager of Jieming New Energy, said: “Factories need energy policies to achieve different proportions of electricity. This is the key. Some large power users can use solar energy and energy storage systems to achieve real-time load distribution.” To put it simply, we often feel that there is not enough electricity. This is mainly because the usage period is closely related to the season. When electricity consumption increases at the same time, such as heavy use of air conditioners in summer and continuous factory operation, the instantaneous load will exceed the standard. “If we can reduce the amount of electricity generated during peak electricity consumption, or even store the electricity generated in the off-season for use in the peak season, the city’s energy resilience will be truly improved.”

In addition, on the issue of power grid decentralization, many infrastructure and services in modern cities are concentrated in the city center, which is prone to problems such as congestion and energy consumption. Jieming New Energy’s battery energy storage technology can make energy more decentralized and implement energy supply systems in various factories. Through the independent operation and power supply of regional microgrids, we work together to create a smart green energy charging environment, and even have the technology to use electric vehicles as decentralized energy storage stations.

　　Bidirectional charging piles can transmit the electric energy stored in the electric vehicle battery back to the grid when there is additional demand on the grid. It is also called V2G (Vehicle to Grid). Extended applications also include V2H (Vehicle to Home) and V2V (Vehicle). to Vehicle), etc., the continuous emergence of these technologies can improve the energy diversity and security of cities at an acceptable cost, and provide Taiwan with comprehensive energy solutions and wisdom in “energy creation, energy storage, and energy use” Leading technologies applied in power grids have become an important piece of the puzzle for energy resilience.

Transformational elements of urban transportation

　　Taken together, to establish a sustainable transportation environment, we need to fully consider road design, smart transportation, energy distribution and other factors, so that we can take into account more human-oriented smart transportation and urban resilience. Therefore, Taiwan needs to focus more on integrating a “convenient, efficient, green and safe” smart transportation environment, strengthen the application and promotion of technology, and inject new impetus into the sustainable development of smart cities.

… [For more exciting articles, please read ⮩  WalkingBlock 2023 Summer Issue ]