LCQ7: Diagonal crossings
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Question:
Last year, the Government conducted trials of diagonal crossings at the two crossroads at the junction of Sha Kok Street and Yat Tai Street in Sha Tin and the junction of Carnarvon Road and Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Some Tseung Kwan O residents have relayed that as the pedestrian flows at the crossroads at the junction of Tong Chun Street and Po Yap Road in Tseung Kwan O (the Tseung Kwan O crossroads) during different periods are extremely high, they hope that diagonal crossings can be tried out and implemented at that crossroads, so as to facilitate the travelling of local residents to and from MTR Tseung Kwan O Station. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has assessed and prepared a report on the effectiveness of the two trials of diagonal crossings in Sha Tin and Tsim Sha Tsui; if so, of the contents of the report; if not, when it will conduct such an assessment;
(2) whether it will include the Tseung Kwan O crossroads as a new trial location for diagonal crossings; if so, when the trial will be conducted; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(3) as there are views that while the Tseung Kwan O crossroads has five to six carriageways on each side with a diagonal distance of as long as 40 to 50 metres, its traffic signal cycle time is similar to that of other crossroads, leaving insufficient time for pedestrians to cross the road diagonally, whether the Government will consider readjusting the traffic signal timings at that crossroads, so as to facilitate a trial of diagonal crossings?
Reply:
President,
Diagonal crossing is one of the pedestrian-friendly crossing facilities introduced by the Transport Department (TD). Such facilities at appropriate junctions give pedestrians the choice to cross directly to a diagonal corner with shorter walking distance and time, thereby improving the walking environment. After consulting the TD, my consolidated response to the questions raised by the Hon Dennis Leung is as follows:
(1) To assess how road users navigate junctions and to evaluate the safety and detailed design of diagonal crossings, the TD has conducted trials at the junction of Sha Kok Street and Yat Tai Street in Sha Tin in the first half of 2024 and the junction of Carnarvon Road and Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui in the second half of 2024, which will help inform the development of design standards and guidelines for diagonal crossings that are appropriate for Hong Kong. As observed by the TD, the trial results have been positive so far. The trial junctions have been operating safely and smoothly, and reduced walking time for pedestrian crossing the junction diagonally.
(2) and (3) In assessing the suitability of diagonal crossing implementation at individual junctions, the TD has to address the needs of different road users, as well as carefully consider the traffic characteristics (including factors such as traffic flow, pedestrian flow and junction layout, etc.) of individual junctions, examine the vehicular capacity of the junctions and its impact on nearby traffic, and explore different engineering options to establish the feasibility. As regards the cross junction of Tong Chun Street and Po Yap Road in Tseung Kwan O, given the relatively long crossing distance and busy traffic flow of the junction, the implementation of diagonal crossing will require significant adjustments to traffic signal (such as reduction of traffic green time) so as to allow sufficient time for pedestrians to cross the road diagonally in a safe manner and this may affect the traffic at the junction and its vicinity.
In addition to the two trial junctions mentioned above, the TD is actively assessing the feasibility of diagonal crossing implementation at other signalised junctions, including locations suggested by the public and Legislative Council/District Council Members during the trial period, in order to further promote diagonal crossings. The TD anticipates that the assessment would be completed in the second half of this year with a view to selecting a new batch of suitable junctions for implementation. Thereafter, the TD will progressively plan and take forward the associated works in the light of the assessment results, the specific conditions of the sites and the complexity of the works involved.
Ends/Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:05
Issued at HKT 12:05
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