Pedestrian environment in Mong Kok & TST to be improved

Under the pedestrian scheme for Mong Kok, one section of Sai Yeung Choi Street South between Nelson Street and Soy Street will be part-time pedestrianised. Vehicles will only be permitted to enter the street between midnight and 4 pm.

At the same time, the following streets in Mong Kok will be designated mixed priority streets:

	Fa Yuen Street (between Argyle Street and Dundas Street);
	Sai Yeung Choi Street South (between Argyle Street and Nelson Street, and between Soy Street and Dundas Street);
	Nelson Street (between Fa Yuen Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South);
	Shantung Street (between Fa Yuen Street and Nathan Road);
	Soy Street (between Fa Yuen Street and Sai Yeung Choi Street South); and
	Dundas Street (between Fa Yuen Street and Nathan Road).

To tie in with the scheme, the section of Sai Yeung Choi Street South at Nelson Street and Dundas Street will be re-routed from southbound to northbound.

For the Tsim Sha Tsui pedestrian scheme, some of the streets at the west of Nathan Road will be converted into mixed priority streets. They include Lock Road, Hankow Road, Ashley Road, Canton Road, Peking Road, Ichang Road and Haiphong Road.

Traffic will be banned from making right turn from Nathan Road southbound onto Peking Road. Vehicles will have to turn left from Nathan Road northbound onto Peking Road.

Announcing details of the pedestrian schemes for Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui this (March 16) afternoon, the Assistant Commissioner for Transport (Urban), Mr Li Shu-ming, said the schemes were devised to enhance road safety and improve the overall environment for pedestrians.

He said: "We believe that the general pedestrian environment and air quality will be improved through the beautification of the area and the diversion of vehicular traffic.

"The schemes will also help minimise the conflict between pedestrians and vehicular traffic thereby reducing the occurrence of traffic accidents involving injuries to pedestrians," he added.

The general concept of the pedestrian schemes for Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, Mr Li highlighted, was to reduce the overall vehicular traffic and to divert traffic from the core areas.

"At mixed priority streets, priority is shared between pedestrians and vehicles," said Mr Li.

"Although vehicular traffic will not be restricted, coloured block paving will be introduced to distinguish the mixed priority streets from other streets.

"Traffic calming measures will be introduced to reduce traffic flow and speed," he said, adding that footpaths would be widened to improve pedestrian circulation.

In this connection, a number of traffic management measures will have to be taken to minimise the impact on vehicular circulation of the surrounding area arising from pedestrianising some of the streets.

For example, 58 on-street parking spaces at Fa Yuen Street (between Argyle Street and Dundas Street) in Mong Kok will be removed. Eight on-street parking spaces at Hankow Road in Tsim Sha Tsui will be cancelled.

Some green minibus (GMB) stops and taxi stands within the pedestrianisation areas may have to be relocated.

Mr Li noted that at the initial stage, the part-time pedestrianised street in Mong Kok would only be closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays and public holidays on a trial basis.

"We will closely monitor the traffic situation in the areas after the implementation of the pedestrian schemes and introduce adjustments whenever necessary," he added.

Thursday, March 16, 2000