Central-Mid-Levels escalators

The Central-Mid-levels escalators (zh-t|t=中環至半山自動扶梯) in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. Fact|date=October 2008

History

Description

Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which makes it the home of some rather unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes.

Since it was officially opened to the public on 15 October 1994, it has played a very important role in transport in Hong Kong since it links Des Voeux Road in Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels, passing through narrow streets. Daily traffic exceeds 55,000 people, although originally forecast to transport 27,000, and using it is free of charge.

The whole system is 800 meters long with a vertical climb of 135 meters. The total travel time is twenty minutes, but most people walk while the system moves to shorten their trip. Due to its vertical climb, the same distance is equivalent to several miles of zigzagging roads if travelled by car. It consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. According to Guinness World Records, these escalators together form the longest outdoor covered escalator system.

The escalator daily runs downhill from 6:00am to 10:00am and uphill from 10:30am to midnight. Apart from serving as a method of transport it is also a tourist attraction and has restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route. There is an entrance and exit on each road it passes, often on both sides of the road.

Although smoking is prohibited in the escalator area evidenced by the "no smoking" signs throughout the route, a small number of people disregard this.

Project

The project's conception began in November 1987, when the Government was faced with increasing vehicular traffic of mid-levels residents going to and from Central by car instead of negotiating the steep inclines on foot. [Brian Wong, [http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/result.jsp?total=13&first=1&no=20 HK's lofty plan for world's longest moving walkway is a step nearer] , South China Morning Post] , November 4, 1987]

In operation since 1993, it cost HK$240 million (US$30 million) to build although it was originally approved in March 1990 with a budget of HK$100m and annual maintenance costs of $950,000. [cite web
publisher = HK Standard
title = Escalator link to Central approved
date = 1990-03-17
url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/16_15.01/68880.pdf
accessdate = 2006-12-19 ] Since its conception in March 1987, its scope and its budget were considerably increased. [cite web
publisher = South China Morning Post
title = Mid Levels link rises to $100m
date = 1990-03-17
url=http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/16_15.01/68880.pdf
accessdate = 2006-12-19 ]

;Post mortemIn November 1996, the Director of Audit issued a report which criticised the project as being a "white elephant", saying that it failed to achieve the primary objective of reducing traffic between the mid levels and Central, as well as over-running its budget by 153%. The Highways Department's poor handling of the project was the main reason for the 5 cost revisions since the budget was initially approved. Director of Audit blamed it for failing to address the risks and complexities associated with the project in the pre-tender estimates, and costs rising because of delays.Yonden Lhatoo, [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=&art_id=49217&sid=&con_type=1&d_str=19961106&sear_year=1996 Escalator `a costly white elephant'] , The Standard, November 6, 1996] Land resumption costs were also underestimated by $74 million (or 180%).

The report also points out that a "before-and-after" study by the Transport Department indicated no obvious reduction in traffic congestion. Despite this, escalators are often crowded with pedestrians.

Bisecting streets

The escalator runs through Cochrane Street between Queen's Road Central and Lyndhurst Terrace. Then it runs along Shelley Street (些利街).

The escalator bisects the following streets/roads:
* Des Voeux Road Central (德輔道中)
* Queen's Road Central (皇后大道中)
* Stanley Street (士丹利街)
* Wellington Street (威靈頓街)
* Gage Street (結志街)
* Lyndhurst Terrace (擺花街)
* Hollywood Road (荷里活道)
* Staunton Street (士丹頓街)
* Elgin Street (伊利近街)
* Caine Road (堅道)
* Mosque Street (摩羅廟街)
* Mosque Junction (摩羅廟交加街)
* Robinson Road (羅便臣道)
* Conduit Road (干德道)

Reshaping of landscape

Since the escalator system opened, most pedestrians gather at the elevated level; previously they gathered at the street level. This has opened up large tracts of intermediate levels above ("SoHo") and below ("NoHo") Hollywood Road, to pedestrians and commerce. Many restaurants have opened around all the elevated level, in the first or second floors of buildings already present.

Film location

The Central-Mid-Levels escalators were used as a location for the Batman film "The Dark Knight". Filming took place there between November 6-11, 2007. [""]

References

ee also

* Transportation in Hong Kong

External links

* [http://www.12hk.com/area/Central/MidLevelEscalators.html More photos of Central-Mid-Levels escalators]
* [http://flickr.com/search/?q=mid-levels+Escalators Photos of Central-Mid-Levels escalators from Flickr]
* [http://www.mid-levels.com/ngallery/albums/1.aspx Mid-Levels Photo Gallery]