TNAG-0276-FCO40-312-Plans-for-construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-1970 — Page 24

31.

8

(a) Through-flow Capacity of the Road-system

There should be no theoretical technical difficulty

in providing the necessary increase in through-flow

capacity for public transport vehicles. This could be

accomplished in two ways:-

(i) increase in road capacity by road improvements and new construction, elevated roads, etc.;

(ii) suppression of private car travel particularly

in peak hours by a prohibitive road-pricing policy.

There would undoubtedly be practical difficulties as well as social and political objections to be overcome in giving effect to these two possibilities.

(b) Kerbside Capacity

·

Kerbsido pace in the urban area has to provide for a variety of demands. Thses demands which are always to some extent competitive derive from the need for all forms of vehicle to sicp and set down or pick up goods or passengers. Control over these an ́vities is just beginning with the aim of giving absolute priority for the use of kerbside stops to public transport at the most congested times. Assuming that this tye of preferon'lal treatment contin s wo can expect to see kerbside space used to maximum advantage. But kerbside capacity for public transport purposes is governed by the spacing of stops as well as by the waiting and handling capacity at each stop 'point. At a nubor cf locations in the urban areas,

maximum kerbside alighting and boarding capacity has alread been reached. At Nathan Road north of Waterloo Road, in particular, the observed maximum volume of passengers moved in one dirculon in one hour is approximately 13,500. Even if Nathan Road were free of all vehicles except buses, it is thought that an improvement in this figure could not be achieved as bus stops are already spaced as closely together as possible and an increase in the number of buses would only mean that buses rulling out of a stop would be impeded by Lusos trying to pull into the next stop ahead. Reasons safety vir bually rule out the location of stopping races other than at the kerbside.

The extensive programe of new and improved roads will not greatly add to the kerbside space available since they are mainly limited-access roads designed to improve the existing flow of traff... It is unlikely that these improvements by themselves can cope adequat with the doubling of passenger volumes in the older parts of the urban

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