CHAPTER 8 INTERNAL TRANSPORT FACILITIES

CONTENTS

1. Introduction 1

2. Rail Facilities 2

3. Road 4

4. Public Transport Terminals 14

5. Planning for Pedestrians 24

6. Cycling 39

7. Parking 42

(December 2019 Edition)

6. Cycling

6.1 General Objective

6.1.1 In Hong Kong, cycling is essentially a recreational sport. However, in

certain new development areas, it is also a supplementary transport
mode that facilitates short-distance travel in an environmentally
friendly manner. The Government supports the adoption of cycling as
a more regular transport mode where the geographical and
topographical circumstances and road safety conditions so permit.

6.1.2 In the planning of new towns and new development areas, adequate
attention should be given to the provision of cycle tracks and related
facilities for the dual purposes of recreation/tourism and for
intra-district travel.

6.2 Cycle Tracks

6.2.1 Safety is of paramount importance. The choice of location for cycle

tracks, the road surface conditions of such tracks and the traffic
management measures in the precinct should be designed to support
safe cycling.

6.2.2 Functional cycle tracks meant for short-distance intra-district travel

should be connected to major residential developments, major
transport interchanges, rail stations and other activity centres in the
vicinity.

6.2.3 Recreational/tourism cycle routes should be provided along scenic

spots and promenade areas if possible. These routes should preferably
be connected to a "cycle park" along the route or to cycle tracks in the
nearby new towns where cycling rental facility is available. The
convenience of public transport connection to such cycle parks shall
have a bearing on the choice of locations.

6.2.4 Wherever possible, cycle traffic should be segregated from other road
users. Physical segregation in the form of kerb and/or railings should
be provided to separate cycle traffic from pedestrians. Where it is not
possible to segregate cyclists from other road users, appropriate
measures shall be introduced to require cyclists to dismount before
proceeding on the relevant road section which is shared between
cyclists and other users.

6.2.5 Segregation could take the form of cycle tracks parallel to

carriageways, or cycle paths totally separated from other vehicle
routes. The arrangement would depend upon the overall system being
planned, taking into consideration the estimated future demand and
land availability and the attractiveness of the routes in terms of
cyclists' preferences.
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 6.2.6 Care should be taken to avoid over-provision, as under-utilised cycle
tracks/facilities may lead to undesirable uses.

6.3 Standards for Cycle Track

6.3.1 The width of segregated cycle tracks should be based on a capacity

flow of 500 bicycles per metre width per hour for 1-way operation and
400 bicycles per metre width per hour for 2-way operation. The
desirable and minimum widths for cycle tracks are shown in Table 10.
For cycle track which operates in both directions, appropriate
measures (e.g. centre-line marking) should be provided to channelise
directional flow to improve traffic safety. Two-way cycle tracks
should be at least 3.5 m wide.

Table 10 : Cycle Track Widths

Desirable Minimum
One-way 2.8 m 2.0 m
Two-way 4.0 m 3.5 m

6.3.2 Cycle tracks should be separated from adjacent carriageways by

verges of at least 1.8 m in width. Where this is impracticable, except
for trunk roads, the width may be reduced to not less than 1m to allow
a reasonable clearance. Where a cycle track crosses a carriageway, it
should do so at right angles to the kerb.

6.3.3 Where cycle track is provided along a roadway, its gradient is

normally dictated by the road alignment. At subways and footbridges,
the desirable and normal maximum gradients should be 3% and 5%
respectively. In exceptional circumstances, gradients of up to 10%
may be accepted for a short distance. Where excessively long gradient
is anticipated, consideration should be given to alternative route for
the cycle track.

6.3.4 Horizontal radii should preferably be not less than 5 m, but in difficult
conditions, radii of 2 m may be acceptable.

6.3.5 Cyclists on cycle tracks should have a clear view ahead for a distance
of preferably 25 m but not less than 15 m. Attention should be paid to
pedestrian/cycle crossing points to ensure that street furniture,
including trees, will not obstruct the sight of pedestrians or cyclists.

6.3.6 Along popular recreational routes, areas should be designated at about

1 km intervals en-route for the cyclists to rest, to visit places of
interest or to enjoy scenic views, if required. Bicycle parking spaces
should be provided in these areas. These resting areas should
preferably be located near tourist and/or scenic vistas and other places
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 of interest to the public.

6.4 Cycle Park

6.4.1 When a scenic cycle route is planned, consideration should be given

subject to availability of land to provide in a nearby site a cycle park
connectable with the cycle track and cycle rental facility. Such rental
facility can also extend to both ends of the route to enable one way
rental line. This kind of rental facility will of course be essentially a
commercial initiative.

6.5 Cycle Parking Areas

6.5.1 In areas where cycle tracks meant for short-distance intra-district

travel are provided, cycle parking facilities should be provided to
avoid illegal parking which may cause obstruction to other road users.
In general, cycle parking shall be provided in major residential
developments, activity centres, markets, public transport interchanges,
rail stations and relevant GIC facilities. The requirement for cycle
parking may vary depending on a number of factors including the type
and location of development, the availability of cycle tracks in the
area as well as the popularity of cycling in the area, etc. While a
comprehensive guideline may not be necessary, advice on the level of
parking provision should be sought from the Transport Department.

6.5.2 Bicycle parking spaces shall be provided in the residential

developments where proper cycle tracks with direct connection to rail
stations are accessible. The following guidelines on the level of
bicycle parking provision for these residential developments are
recommended:

(a) within a 0.5-2km radius of a rail station, 1 bicycle parking space

for every 15 flats with flat size smaller than 70m2.
(b) outside a 2km radius of a rail station, 1 bicycle parking space for
every 30 flats with flat size smaller than 70m2.

6.5.3 A designated cycle parking area shall be provided at the rail stations
where cycle tracks are provided at a rate of 30 bicycle parking spaces
per 10 000 population within the 2-km radius of the station.

6.6 Standards for Cycle Parking Areas

6.6.1 Cycle parking areas shall be provided off road/cycle track to avoid
obstruction to vehicular, pedestrian and cycle traffic. They shall be
provided at open locations with full public view in order to deter theft.
To encourage use of the designated parking areas and to discourage
illegal parking, cycle parking areas shall be conveniently located close
to the general destinations. For short and long term parking, these
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 areas shall not be located more than 30 m and 70 m respectively away
from these destinations.

6.6.2 Suitable fixed stands or cycle racks shall be provided in the parking
area to support the cycle and to enable the cycle to be securely
chained to these fixtures to deter theft. The layout of these stands or
racks shall be designed to maximise the parking capacity available at
the site. Further information on cycle parking is available in Volume 3
Chapter 6 of the TPDM.

6.6.3 Direction signs shall be provided where appropriate to inform cyclists

of the direction to the nearby parking areas.

6.6.4 At the designated bicycle parking area at railway stations, signs shall
be erected to inform cyclists of the terms and conditions of use of the
bicycle parking area.

7. Parking

7.1 General

7.1.1 Provision of parking spaces should be compatible with Government's

overall transport policy as set out in the Introduction of this Chapter.
As a general principle, parking should be provided at a level which
will not unduly attract potential passengers to use private vehicles in
preference to public transport. In particular, for developments which
are close to railway stations and large public transport interchanges,
lower parking standards should be adopted.

7.1.2 Optimum use should be made of existing parking facilities and the
demand for such facilities should be carefully managed. In those
situations where demand for facilities still exceeds supply,
consideration should be given to providing additional facilities
provided that such provision would not be contrary to the Transport
Strategy and that it would not overload the road system.

7.1.3 Other practical considerations which should be taken into account

when determining the appropriate level of provision of parking
facilities include:
(a) Availability of public transport services in the vicinity;
(b) Availability of public car parks in the vicinity;
(c) Proximity to and quality of pedestrian access linking railway
stations and other major public transport interchanges;
(d) Traffic conditions of local road networks; and
(e) Parking demand and supply condition in the vicinity.
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