in a number of European cities including Dusseldorf, Milan, the Hague, Essen and Brussels. The order of cost for the initial phases would be considerably less than for a comparable full underground facility and so fares could be set at a very reasonable level. Moreover, electrically powered LRVS are less polluting than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines,
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The mass transit light rail system which is at the core of the strategy proposed by the Study Team and accepted by the Steering Group has three phases. The first phase would involve new, single-deck, articulated LRVs and track segregation measures to create a reserved right of way. Such a segregated right of way would result in somewhat less road space for other road users. But the Study indicated that their losses would be outweighed by the gains of public transport passengers and that, overall, the users of the corridor would enjoy a substantial net benefit. During this first phase, the Happy Valley loop would be closed because it would detract from the efficient operation of the LRVS along the corridor. The service would be replaced by buses, This phase would permit a maximum of 11,000 passengers per hour to be carried in each direction on the LRVS at an average speed of 17 km/h (compared with the present trams' 8,000 passengers per hour at an average speed of approximately 12 km/h). It was esti- mated that this first phase could be completed during 1981.
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In the second phase, a short length of tunnel would be built to provide cross platform interchange with the MIS at Admi-. ralty Station and good transfer facilities at Chater/Pedder Stations. This development would, in effect, make the system an extension of the MTR. A second short length of tunnel would also be cons- tructed to provide access to Chai Wan where there would be a new depot. Further measures to improve segregation would also be implemented. Once the LRVS began operating in the tunnel between Admiralty and Chater/Pedder Stations, the existing tram right of way in Queensway would be converted to a busway, providing improved bus access to Central District. This, together with bus priority measures in Queen's Road East and the proposal to develop Central Market as a bus terminal, would create a significant improvement in public transport services between the Eastern part of the corridor and Central District. With the completion of this second phase, the light rail system would have a capacity of 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The implementation of this phase would probably begin at the same time as the first phase, but it would take longer to complete, probably being ready by early 1983.
CONFIDENTIAL ##