Fostering Mobility in a Compact City – Hong Kong’s Experience Professor Anthony B.L. Cheung Secretary for Transport and Housing Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong – Some basic facts 2  Population:  7.3 million  Landscape:  Hilly and mountainous with steep slopes  Densely populated and highly compact  Congested traffic

Our strategy – Promoting public transport 3  Public Transport-based Policy  90% of community uses public transport to commute  12 million passenger trips per day  Public Transport includes railway, buses, public light buses, taxis, trams and ferries  Hong Kong Public Transport ranked 1 st out of 84 cities (Arthur D Little’s Urban Mobility Index)

Our strategy – Promoting public transport 4  Public transport strategy: Railway as backbone  By 2031, railway will cover:  75% of residential areas  85% of employment opportunities  Franchised buses providing feeder services to the railway network “Railway as backbone” strategy

Complementary role of “walking” 5  Hong Kong’s walking pattern-  30% made at least one walk-only trip on weekdays  Over 70% walked to access a transport mode and to reach destination after alighting from vehicle  Relying on Public Transport  Diversity in our mobility system to cater for different travel needs  Walking and cycling as a mode of short- distance commuting

Walking initiatives in Hong Kong 1.Elevated Walkway System 2.Hillside Escalator System 3.Universal Accessibility Programme 4.Covered Walkway 5.Pedestrianisation Scheme

Elevated Walkway System 7  Connectivity of skywalks between office buildings, residential complex and shopping malls  Avoid walking on the roadside which filled with vehicular emissions  Pedestrians can access different facilities through footbridges Extensive walkway system in Central Footbridges in Tsuen Wan – a local community

Hillside Escalator System 8  Densely populated districts situated in hilly places  Hillside escalator links and elevator systems serve to ensuring smooth mobility of citizens  Emerging of restaurants, bars and moderns shops next to hillside escalator system “Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System” Running through narrow streets up-hill and all the way reaching the mid-level residential areas.

Universal Accessibility Programme 9  Installation of barrier-free facilities at public walkways  Barrier-free living environment in public housing estates to facilitate people with diverse mobility needs Before After

Covered Walkway 10  Pedestrian walkways connecting to major public transport interchanges are equipped with covers  To facilitate the use of public transport and the ease of switching between modes in the transportation interchange Covered walkway along our harbourfront

Pedestrianisation Scheme 11  Giving road-use priority to pedestrians, yet having due regard to the right of other road users Full-time pedestrian precinct zone Part-time Pedestrian Street Footpaths widening works

Promotion of Cycling 12  Cycling as green commuting in New Towns and New Development Areas  Putting in place a trunk cycle track network of over 80 km  Improving existing cycling tracks and facilities  Promoting the importance of cycling safety through publicity and education

Challenges ahead While doing more to facilitate walkability and promoting non-mechanised transport means, we cannot lose sight of the need to extend our public transport system. Public Transportation Plus Public Transport complemented by walkability and cycling-friendly measures

Public to change habit? 14  Competing use of limited road space between motorists, pedestrians and cyclists  Need to handle public request for not changing commuting habits and patterns  Opposing public opinions Bus route rationalisation scheme Pedestrianisation projects

Way Ahead Mindset change in the community Reflecting on city life 15

16 Thank you