Motorcyclists Spend Less Time Under the Sun! One City Launches 'Shortened Traffic Light Cycles,' Opens 67 Road Sections – Full Riding Rules Explained

The Taichung City Department of Transportation announced that starting today through August 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, a 'Red Light Duration Reduction Pilot Project' will be implemented at 67 intersections along four major arterial roads. The initiative is expected to shorten red light waiting times by an average of 15 to 25 seconds per intersection, reducing discomfort for motorcyclists and pedestrians waiting under intense sunlight. Department Director Yeh Chao-fu explained that major roads in Taichung radiate outward from Taichung Railway Station, and key intersections often require long green phases, resulting in 180-second extended signal cycles. This pilot project aims to address that issue through dynamic adjustments.

The four roads benefiting from the trial are as follows:

- Chungcheng Road: from Yingcai Road to Jingmao 5th Road - Chongde Road: from Meiting Street to Chongde 12th Road - Wenxin Road: from Xing'an Road to Huamei West Street - Beihua Evolution Road and Zhongming Road: from Liuyang East Street to Minquan Road

The Department stated that the project is being implemented during off-peak hours in the summer vacation period. While ensuring smooth traffic flow on major roads and maintaining minimum crossing time for pedestrians, signal cycles will be moderately shortened to maintain overall intersection efficiency. Road users must still follow on-site traffic signals for stopping or proceeding.

The red light reduction does not involve simply cutting fixed red durations. Instead, the Traffic Control Center monitors traffic flow in real time and remotely adjusts signal timing based on actual conditions. By integrating traffic engineering calculations, real-time traffic forecasting, and extensive data analysis, the system dynamically allocates optimal green light durations. The Department emphasized that through smart traffic systems, signal timing is remotely optimized to reduce waiting times without compromising intersection efficiency.

Feng Media conducted on-site interviews with Taichung road users, many of whom expressed support for the initiative while offering suggestions: 'We hope the city government comprehensively reviews speed limits and signal timing to allow riders to smoothly pass through multiple intersections while obeying speed limits. That would be the best solution to minimize sun exposure for road users.'