XN000022-1985-05-20 — Page 10

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MONDAY, MAY 20, 1985

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THE SCHEME, TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN STAGES, COMPRISES TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS, WIDENING OF FOOTPATHS, IMPROVEMENTS TO PEDESTRIAN CROSSING FACILITIES AND RELOCATION OF PUBLIC LIGHT BUS STANDS. THE AREA AFFECTED IS BOUNDED BY GLOUCESTER ROAD TO THE EAST AND NORTH, PERCIVAL STREET TO THE WEST AND LEIGHTON ROAD TO THE SOUTH.

MR COWIE EXPLAINED THAT THE SCHEME WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE CAUSEWAY BAY WAS A POPULAR SHOPPING AND TOURIST CENTRE AND WAS LIKELY TO BECOME EVEN MORE POPULAR WITH THE OPENING OF THE ISLAND LINE AND THE COMPLETION OF HOTEL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS ABOVE THE CAUSEWAY BAY STATION.

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*ALREADY PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT IN THE AREA IS CONSIDERABLY RESTRICTED OWING TO THE NARROW FOOTPATHS, OBSTRUCTIONS OF AND ENCROACHMENTS INTO FOOTWAYS AND CONFLICT WITH TRAFFIC. THE SITUATION IS BOUND TO GET WORSE AS MORE PEOPLE FLOCK THERE,+ HE SAID.

TO GIVE AN IDEA OF THE HEAVY PEDESTRIAN FLOWS IN THE DISTRICT, MR COWIE SAID, TRAFFIC COUNTS TAKEN BETWEEN 4.45 PM AND 5.45 PM ON AN APRIL SUNDAY LAST YEAR REVEALED THAT 16 300 PEOPLE HAD USED THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ACROSS YEE WO STREET.

THE MAIN AIM OF THE PEDESTRIAN AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME, MR COWIE SAID, WAS TO CREATE BETTER, LESS CONGESTED CONDITIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS, TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND TO MAINTAIN VEHICULAR ACCESS TO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS WITHOUT UNDULY AFFECTING PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT. IT ALSO AIMED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SERVICING OPPORTUNITIES WHILE MINIMISING CONFLICTS BETWEEN LOADING AND UNLOADING ACTIVITIES AND PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT.

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAD DISCUSSED THE SCHEME WITH THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD, CMB, KMB AND PLB OPERATORS. THE FIRST STAGE OF THE SCHEME, WHICH WOULD IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE MTR STATION AT CAUSEWAY BAY, WAS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE MAY 31.

UNDER THE INITIAL STAGE OF THE SCHEME, TRAFFIC WOULD ENTER CAUSEWAY BAY EITHER VIA A TWO LANE, ONE-WAY WEST-EAST ROUTE ALONG LOCKHART ROAD, EAST POINT ROAD AND GREAT GEORGE STREET OR VIA A TWO LANE ONE-WAY NORTH-SOUTH ROUTE ALONG CLEVELAND STREET, KINGSTON STREET AND GREAT GEORGE STREET. LOCAL OUTBOUND TRAFFIC TO CENTRAL WOULD BE DIVERTED VIA THE NEW GLOUCESTER ROAD FLYOVER WHILE INBOUND TRAFFIC FROM HENNESSY ROAD WOULD BE DIVERTED VIA SUGAR STREET.

+THE TRAFFIC REROUTINGS WILL HOPEFULLY REDUCE EXTRANEOUS TRAFFIC IN THE AREA AND SIMPLIFY THE FLOW PATTERN. MOREOVER, THEY WILL FACILITATE THE LINKING OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS, PERMIT THE USE OF REDUCED CYCLE TIMES AND PROVIDE INCREASED GREEN TIME AT THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS THEREBY REDUCING WAITING TIME FOR PEDESTRIANS, MR COWIE EXPLAINED.

/ANOTHER PROMINENT

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