Pedestrian hub to be created in Central

Do you ever imagine a pedestrian hub appearing at the heart of the Central Business District (CBD) in Queen's Road Central?

The Transport Department today (January 11) proposed to introduce a pedestrian scheme in the busiest area of Central to enhance both the pedestrian environment and road safety.

Major measures in Phase I of the Scheme are as follows:

	Queen's Road Central between D'Aguilar Street and Pottinger Street, Theatre Lane and Chiu Lung Street will be designated as full time pedestrian zones (Option I); or Queen's Road Central between D'Aguilar Street and Pottinger Street will be designated as a traffic calming street initially and eventually as a full time pedestrian zone. Theatre Lane and Chiu Lung Street will be designated as full time pedestrian zones (Option II).
	D'Aguilar Street, Wo On Lane, Lan Kwai Fong will become part-time pedestrian zones between noon and mid-night while Elgin Street and Peel Street will be free from vehicles between 7 pm and 12 mid-night.
	Footpaths along Des Voeux Road Central, Queen Victoria Street and Jubilee Street will be widened.
	Announcing details of the scheme at a press conference, today (January 11), Assistant Commissioner for Transport, Mr K C Ching, said that the section of Queen's Road Central as a pedestrian hub was an ideal model to start.

He said: "The road is a busy pedestrian corridor at a strategic location, traffic management is not complicated, affected kerb side activities are limited, and the scale is considered just right."

Studies done by the Transport Department show that most of the streets in the core area of Central are often packed with several thousands of pedestrians. Queen's Road Central between D'Aguilar Street and Pottinger Street has more than 20,000 pedestrians during the peak hours.

"It thus becomes necessary for us to improve the pedestrian environment, and pedestrianisation in return serves to encourage the idea of walking and discourage non-essential vehicle traffic," he added.

To facilitate the implementation of the pedestrian scheme, traffic management measures will be required to divert traffic affected by the closure of Queen's Road Central out of the heart of the CBD.

Wyndham Street between Queen's Road Central and Wellington Street will be re-directed to one-way uphill. Queen's Road Central between Pottinger Street and Queen Victoria Street will be re-routed to one-way eastbound. Lyndhurst Terrace will be converted to two ways to provide an alternative route for Mid-Levels vehicles heading for Central.

The junction of Queen's Road Central and Pedder Street and the junction of Connaught Road Central and Pedder Street will be widened and improved to increase their capacity.

Adjustments will be made to public transport services affected by the scheme.

Phase I of the Scheme also suggests that:

	Stanley Street, Queen's Road Central between Wyndham Street and D'Aguilar Street, D'Aguilar Street between Queen's Road Central and Stanley Street, Staunton Street, Pottinger Street between Des Voeux Road Central and Queen's Road Central as well as Queen's Road Central between Pottinger Street and Queen Victoria Street should be designated as traffic calming streets where vehicles are given priority, pedestrian environment is upgraded and vehicle speed limit is self-enforcing through the use of traffic-calming measures.
	Both pedestrians and vehicles should be allowed to use Duddell Street and On Lan Street but pedestrians have the priority.
	The pedestrianisation initiative will be further enhanced with the implementation of Phase II in which Stanley Street, Queen's Road Central between Wyndham Street and D'Auilar Street, and D'Aguilar Street between Queen's Road Central and Stanley Street will be designated as part-time pedestrian zones between noon and mid-night.

"Central Pedestrianisation Scheme echoed other schemes in Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok which aimed at enhancing pedestrian mobility and safety in busy areas," Mr Ching said.

"We will consult District Council members on our proposals and collect the views from the transportation trade and the stake-holders through comprehensive consultation.

"Depending on the consultation process, we hope to begin implementing the Scheme this year for its completion in 2003-04," he said.

A study was conducted in May last year to find out whether or not certain busy streets in Central, Wai Chai, Sham Shui Po and Jordan were suitable for pedestrianisation. The above proposals in Central are part of suggestions made by the Study.

End/Thursday, January 11, 2001