Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je fired the starter pistol for the 2020 Criteriums Taipei on September 6.
 
The event is the first tournament to take place at Taipei’s first outdoor cycling road race circuit. The venue is constructed by the Sports Department over a period of four months and a budget of NT$18 million.
 
Remarking how the new venue incorporates trails various road conditions to fulfill the needs of different cyclists, Ko pointed out that the city government is also working on Taipei’s cycling road map for the next decade. In addition to upgrading YouBike to version 2.0, it is also planning on expanding bicycle trails in the urban parts of the city to improve the “last mile” functions of public transportation.
 
During his address, the mayor pointed out that two popular sports in Taipei City are running and cycling. Since there are a lot of road-running events, he finds it necessary to limit the number taking place in the city to 10 every year. However, since cycling events have less need to close off city roads, the city government encourages the public to organize such competitions at riverside cycling trails.
 
He mentioned that the city government also has another project – the Taipei Grand Trail – which connects the hiking trails across surrounding mountains. For the riverbanks, the top objective for the city government is to complete the cycling trails. He hopes that the hiking trails on the mountains and the cycling trails along the rivers can be further integrated within 2 years.
 
Ko also promised that the city government will work on organizing major international sporting events, including bids for hosting the 2025 World Masters Games and the 20206 Gay Games. It will also seek the Gold Label Road Race Certification for the Taipei Marathon slated for December.