Lecture 11 Transportation Strategy in Hong Kong Introduction Hong Kong (1988-98) Population: 5.7m 6.8m GDP per capita: 20% in real terms This socio-economic growth, together with the rapid expansion of Hong Kong's port and airport facilities and increase in cross boundary traffic, have placed tremendous demands on transport infrastructure Despite this, transport systems of Hong Kong have coped remarkably well with such demands The majority of the population enjoy high levels of mobility and traffic speeds in most areas are at acceptable levels This success has been achieved through improving transport infrastructure expanding and improving public transport & managing road use These principles, coupled with proper land-use planning, have formed the foundation of Hong Kong's transport policy and have been applied in response to changing opportunities and constraints The First (1976) & Second (1989) Comprehensive Transport Studies (CTS), have formed the backbone of Hong Kong's transport infrastructure and policy development Indeed, Transport was considered to have contributed to environmental problems, particularly with regard to air quality and noise impacts. Environmental matters were addressed in a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) In view of the uncertainty in the future development of Hong Kong over a long period, CTS-3 has adopted an envelope of study assumptions taking into account the effects of: Different Population Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Vehicle fleet size & Cross boundary traffic growth rates The framework cast under this approach enables the development of robust & flexible transport strategies & infrastructure programmes to cope with a wide range of growth scenarios Based on the results of a consultation exercise conducted in June 1998, CTS-3 adopts the following guiding principles in formulating the future transport framework: Integrating land-use, transport and environmental planning; According priority to railways; Co-ordinating and enhancing public transport services; Providing transport infrastructure in a more timely fashion; Managing transport with new technologies; Giving more emphasis to pedestrian needs; and Alleviating the environmental impact of transport to an acceptable level Evolution of the Comprehensive Transport Studies (CTSs) The First study (CTS-1), which was completed in 1976, resulted in the decision to construct the MTR system and the realization that it would be necessary to restrain private car travel In 1986-89, the Second Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS-2) formulated a transport framework for the territory up to the year 2001 for a population forecast of 6.3 million Evolution of the CTSs Accordingly, from 1990 to 1993, the updating of the Second Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS-2 Update) was undertaken to review the CTS-2 framework taking into account the relocation of the airport to Chek Lap Kok, Metroplan, and various reclamation studies. The planning horizon was also extended to 2011 CTS-3 is the Third Comprehensive Transport Study. In view of the considerable uncertainties of transport planning at the time, in particular the future location of the territory's airport, the study recommended that the implementation of the strategy should be monitored and updated on a regular basis In order to update and refine Hong Kong's transport infrastructure and policy framework, the following needed to be considered in detail: The upward revision of the population forecasts, An enhanced housing programme, The rapidly increasing cross boundary traffic & The recent growing concern over environmental impact, particularly adverse air quality, all point to a need The objective of CTS-3 is to provide a framework on which Government can develop a balanced transport strategy to facilitate the mobility of people and goods of Hong Kong in an environmentally sustainable manner up to 2016 CTS-2 was a key study in the development of Hong Kong's transport policy and systems. Its recommendations formed the basis of the 1990 White Paper "Moving into the 21st Century“ Many of the road and rail infrastructure recommendations of the White Paper have now been implemented (table). The broad policy directions have also been generally maintained Environmental Improvement Measures Current Status of the Environment In recent years, there has been growing concern over Hong Kong's deteriorating environment. Air quality monitoring results for 1997 indicated that five of the nine air quality monitoring stations did not meet the annual average Air Quality Objective (AQO) for respirable suspended particulates (RSP) Elevated RSP concentrations are believed to be associated with higher respiratory illness and death rates Nitrogen dioxide also contributes to poor air quality in Hong Kong. This pollutant is believed to cause respiratory irritation and other health problems The nitrogen dioxide level has risen 20% in the 5-year period to 1997 and in that year exceeded the annual average AQO at one air quality monitoring station. The roadside Air Pollution Index reached the "very high" band nine times in February 1999. Such episodes of poor air quality were attributed to the high levels of nitrogen dioxide measured at these stations, which are typically surrounded by tall buildings As the air pollutants emitted from some major emission sources such as power plants are well dispersed at high levels, pollutant emissions from road vehicles manifest themselves in the form of poor street level air quality It is estimated that transport contributed approximately 65% & 75% of the street level emissions of nitrogen oxides and RSP in 1997, respectively. To tackle the situation, Government is progressively implementing a series of control measures including the adoption of improved emission standards (Euro III) and the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for taxis The franchised bus companies are being encouraged to install diesel catalytic converters to their pre-Euro bus fleet and have planned to secure supply of diesel fuel with lower sulphur content for their buses. In addition, programmes for reduction of the number of bus stops in busy urban areas such as Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay are well underway. This measure will improve traffic flow and thereby reduce emissions The noise impact of traffic is also of concern. It is estimated that in 1997 about 429,000 people living in the vicinity of major roads addressed in the Strategic Environmental Assessment are exposed to excessive noise levels Many of the natural habitats in certain areas of Hong Kong support a diverse range of fauna and flora. Protecting such natural resources is an important consideration in the development of new transport infrastructure A growth in vehicle emission will inevitably contribute to the deterioration of air quality in Hong Kong. Even with the proposed emission control standards in place, by 2016 emissions from road vehicles will increase under the medium and high traffic growth scenarios The higher the rate of increase in traffic volumes, the sooner the benefits of short term reductions in emissions will be lost. Therefore, additional measures will be required to manage vehicle use and reduce emissions from road transport CTS-3 has identified some environmental improvement measures and recommends them under their respective areas in the transport planning context. These measures include: Integrated land-use and transport planning to reduce the need for travel; More extensive rail network and promoting trunk and feeder services to maximise rail usage; Better co-ordination of different transport modes; Park and ride facilities; Application of new technologies in traffic management to relieve congestion; Pedestrianisation, possibly along with cycling facilities; and if necessary, The more drastic measures such as restraining the growth and usage of vehicles Measures for Further Consideration In addition to the above package of measures, CTS-3 has also identified a number of possible environmental measures which might be considered to further improve air quality and the noise environment. These measures include: Alternative fuels such as diesel with low sulphur content for heavy goods vehicles and buses, and LPG for public light buses; Tailpipe emission reduction measures such as diesel catalytic converters and particulate traps; Limiting vehicle fleet age; Traffic demand management measures; Strengthening the inspection and maintenance programme for vehicles; More stringent noise emission standards; Engine encapsulation; Low noise road surface; Retrofitting existing roads (e.g. noise barriers); Putting new roads underground; Speed regulation; Expanded river trade terminal operation; Freight rail; and Alternative vehicle types such as trolley buses and fuel-efficient vehicles. THE END