THE LOOPWAY:
Clockwise circulation system to cope with Central City traffic pressure
(1) The use wherever possible of the existing street pattern. (2) The avoidance of major en- gineering works such as fly- overs, or expensive street widenings.
(3) The creation of the minimum
number of traffic arteries
only one for each direction. (4) Elimination of hazards from
A previous article in this series put What are the elements of a journey forward the thesis that Hong Kong's by vehicle? Basically five: walk to traffic problem can only be solved, vehicle, get in and move off, travel and its golden opportunity for central on the road, stop and get out, walk improvement seized, by the use of a to destination. Usually the third of two-level system of traffic segregation these elements will take the most time; in the town centre. The Broadwalk, but any one of the others may some- the subject of the article, was intend- times take more, and the sum of all ed to give an impetus to the develop the others will, in a town, frequently ment of the upper, or pedestrian level do so. It may take some time to in the district to the west and south park; it may take some time before of Statue Square. There was already a bus comes; the bus stop or car park in existence an idea for the develop may be a long way away; your home ment of the Dockyard area on the may be far from a bus route or your two-level system. It remained only
garage; there may be a traffic jam on to suggest what form the vehicular the way or frequent delays at cross- circulations on
the lower level of ings. All these things are causes of tion, they are Connaught Road Cen- these areas should take.
inefficiency in the working of a town. tral, a new road through the Dock- The user of a vehicle, whether it be They can all be cured by correct yard area, Lockhart Road; in the his own or a public one, assumes as design.
FERRY
GOVERNMENT
CARDEN
CITY HALL
CENTICAL
CAR
· PARK
Cricket Ground
COMPREHENSIVË DEVELOPMENT
CAR
PARK
门
не
Bom HENNESSY ♫
arteries.
The roads proposed as arteries are, in the eastbound direction, Hennessy Road, Queen's Road East, Des Voeux Road Central; in the westbound direc-
northbound and southbound direc- tions. Garden Road. The Loopway itself is a clockwise system of circulation comprising Queen's Road East, Des Voeux Road Central. Pedder Street, Connaught Road Cen- tral, the new Dockyard road, and a link to join Queen's Road East.
Road.*
The engineering works necessary are confined to the making of new roads over vacant and military land. and do not involve more than minor demolitions. The major work is the new Dockyard road; minor works include the straightening of Queen's Road East, the doubling of the Garden Road carriageway and the diversion of its northbound traffic across Murray a general rule that its use will get him Now the efficiency of any system Parade Ground, and the reshaping of to his destination sooner than if he of transport is measured more by the the cricket ground by the resumption had walked. That this assumption no time taken for the completion of of land on its southern boundary and longer holds good in modern city cen- journeys than by any other criterion; the inclusion in it of part of Murray tres is becoming increasingly evident. the route and method of travel are Wheels should go faster than feet; secondary. In other words, a system but in the existing conditions in which in which, for instance, you may go The rest of the existing street-pat- traffic flows, or rather fails to flow, by the most direct route from your tern is retained unaltered,
save that this advantage cannot be relied on. door to your office lobby is not neces- most of the junctions with the Loop- Given, however, a more reliable speed sarily the best system. In fact, in the way are blocked. Access to existing of traffic flow than we now enjoy, it centre of a large city, it can seldom streets within the Loopway, which would become easier to predict how be. The best system is one which thus form a sort of commercial pre- inuch time would be saved by going gets you there soonest, by whatever cinct, is gained from the northern by car or bus rather than on foot. If method and whatever route. This side only. Access to the Star Ferry it could be assumed as certain that may sound common sense but it is and City Hall area is similarly one could travel in town at an average necessary to bear the criterion of time restricted. In the circuit of the Loop- speed of twenty miles an hour in a rather than distance very firmly in way there are thus only five points. vehicle, and at three miles an hour on mind when examining an idea which at which traffic diverges, and five at fcot, it would be possible to plan traffic circulations on a more logical
more logical imposes a very new and rigorous which it merges.
and rigorous which it merges. There is no crossing
traffic. and firm foundation. It is important discipline upon the road user.
to realise that this foundation is one of time and not of distance.
THE HONG KONG & FAR EAST BUILDER
The Loopway proposal is based on four principles: -
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 3
Other hazards are, as far as pos- sible, eliminated. Pedestrians are for-
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