2.9
2.10
2.11
Thus it was concluded that no further consideration would be given to the South Island LRT line. However, account should be taken of the needs of the bus services operating between the Aberdeen Tunnel and other locations within the corridor, especially Central. The new road tunnel will cause a transfer of many buses which currently travel between Central and Aberdeen via Western and Pokfulam to a route through Wanchai. Measures to expedite the bus flow will be desirable in any event because of this increase in bus flows, but would also help generally improve public transport services in this key central section of the corridor.
Services in Western The testing of the options revealed, as already noted, that the MTR Western Island Line concept was not attractive
in financial or cost benefit terms. The problem is to develop a suitable alternative system.
Several options may be apparent, within the context of an overall strategy which includes a single. LRT service along the corridor, viz:
2.12
(i)
discontinue LRT services in Western;
(ii)
operate LRT services on street in Western, at lower levels of service than would be achieved over the
remainder of the route;
(iii)
construct a new LRT route along the Waterfront (Connaught Road West); and
(iv) construct a tunnel section at lower cost than would be
achieved with a full MTR (8-car train) specification.
Each of these will be considered in turn.
Travel demand levels are lower West of Central than East of Central, and they are very much lower west of Whitty. The nature of Des Veoux Road West is such that it was concluded in Interim Report 8 that a segregated tramway/LRT alignment would not be feasible, and so an LRT route extended along Des Voeux Road West could be adversely affected in terms of operational reliability throughout its length by this section of route.
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