Roosevelt Road (Taipei)

Roosevelt Road
Native name羅斯福路 (Chinese)
Part ofProvincial Highway 9
TypeStreet
LocationTaipei, Taiwan
A road sign on Roosevelt Road.

Roosevelt Road (Chinese: 羅斯福路; pinyin: Luósīfú Lù) is a north–south avenue and part of Provincial Highway 9 in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting Zhongzheng District, Daan District and Wenshan District with Xindian District, New Taipei City in the south of the Taipei metropolitan area. It was named after U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt,[1] making it the only street named for a Western figure in Taipei, excluding the former MacArthur Thruway.

History

The road was built along the route of the old TRA Hsintien line, which closed in 1965.

Before being named Roosevelt, this road had a history dating back to the early 20th century. It was formed during the period from 1905 to 1932 when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. The name 'Roosevelt’ appeared on maps in 1945, right after the end of World War II. Just two years later, in 1947, the road underwent significant expansion, becoming a major north-south thoroughfare in the city. By 1961, Roosevelt Road already had six lanes.[2] The upper section of Roosevelt Road has a much longer history than the rest. This area once housed buildings belonging to the Monopoly Bureau, an agency established by the Japanese to control the production and trade of essential goods such as tobacco, alcohol, camphor, table salt, and oil."[2]

Transport

Map including Roosevelt Road (labeled as LO-SSU-FU-LU 羅斯福路) (1950s)

Roosevelt Road passes through a number of commercial districts, schools, and government offices. It is the major access road to downtown Taipei from southern suburbs like Xindian and Jingmei, with heavy traffic at peak hour.

Roosevelt Road is now served by Taipei metro Xindian Line. On the street level, two bus lanes are laid in the middle of the road.

Points of interest

See also

References

  1. ^ "EDITORIAL: No need for more foreign names". Taipei Times. 2014-02-18. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  2. ^ a b Gardner, Dinah (2022-07-18). "A Ramble Down Roosevelt Road". Taiwan Business TOPICS. American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.


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