October 9, 2020 - Population 2.646 Million – Taipei was another newcomer to the Copenhagenize top 20; however, its relationship to cycling is anything but new. Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, which has been a leading manufacturer of bicycles and bike parts since the 1970s. Currently, the country produces 63% of Europe’s e-bikes and has been ranked as the world’s leading exporter of high-end bicycles.

As bikes produced in Taiwan fill up the streets of cycling capitals across Europe, officials in Taiwan’s capital city are working on encouraging more bike-commuting at home, as well. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, a cycling enthusiast himself, has a decades-long plan to grow the City’s cycling network as an important last-mile connection to transit.

There are over 500km of cycling infrastructure across the City, including more than 300km of dual-use sidewalks and over 100km along the river bikeway. Taipei also has a popular bike share program, Youbike, and plans are underway to expand the system from 400 stations to 1,200.

As part of the emphasis on bike-transit connections, people can bring their bikes on rapid transit during weekday off-peak hours and can purchase monthly rapid transit passes that provide the first 30 minutes of a bike share trip for free.

Although the city’s stated focus is on commuting by bike to transit, there are many recreational cycling opportunities, too. Taipei’s bike map highlights numerous riverside and family-friendly bike tours.

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