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1.INTRODUCTION1.1Inthepast10years(1988-98),HongKong'spopulationhasincreasedfrom5.7millionto6.8millionandGDPpercapitahasincreasedby20%inrealterms.Thissocio-economicgrowth,togetherwiththerapidexpansionofHongKong'sportandairportfacilitiesandincreaseincrossboundarytraffic,haveplacedtremendousdemandsontransportinfrastructure.Despitethis,transportsystemsofHongKonghavecopedremarkablywellwithsuchdemands.Themajorityofthepopulationenjoyhighlevelsofmobilityandtrafficspeedsinmostareasareatacceptablelevels.1.2Thissuccesshasbeenachievedthroughimprovingtransportinfrastructure,expandingandimprovingpublictransport,andmanagingroaduse.Theseprinciples,coupledwithproperland-useplanning,haveformedthefoundationofHongKong'stransportpolicyandhavebeenappliedinresponsetochangingopportunitiesandconstraints.TheFirstandSecondComprehensiveTransportStudies,completedin1976and1989respectively,haveformedthebackboneofHongKong'stransportinfrastructureandpolicydevelopment.1.3However,HongKongisadynamiccity,withcontinuouschangesineconomicgrowthanddevelopment,technology,publicdemandsandaspirations.Populationisforecasttocontinuegrowingatafastpaceandcrossboundaryactivityisalsoexpectedtoincrease.ThesedevelopmentswillcontinuetoplacefurtherpressureonHongKong'stransportinfrastructure.Ifmobilityistobemaintained,thesedemandsneedtobeaccommodatedinsomeway.However,newinfrastructureisbecomingincreasinglyexpensiveanddifficulttoconstructinHongKong'suniquegeographicsituation.1.4Recentyearshaveseengreaterpublicawarenessandconcernoverthedeterioratingenvironmentalconditions,whichhaveaccompaniedthegrowthoverthepastdecade.Althoughtransportisonlyoneofthecontributingfactorsofenvironmentalpollution,thereisanincreasingneedfortransportpolicyandplanningtobetterreflectthisconcern.1.5Asaresult,theThirdComprehensiveTransportStudy(CTS-3)wascommissionedinAugust1997,withtheobjectiveofformulatingatransportdevelopmentframeworkthatwouldcontributetomoresustainabledevelopmentinHongKong.Inthetransportcontext,thisobjectiverequiresthebalancingofasystemthatmaintainsandimprovesmobilitywiththeadverseimpactsthiscanhaveontheenvironment,andallowscontinuedeconomicandsocialdevelopment.Byemphasisingtheuseofpublictransport,inparticularrailway,enhancingtheintegrationofdifferenttransportmodes,andmakinguseofnewtechnologies,aframeworkhasbeendevelopedthatprovidesmobilityinasustainabledevelopmentcontext.Providingmobilityinasustainabledevelopmentcontext1.6AswithpreviousCTSstudies,CTS-3hasdevelopedtransportpoliciestogetherwithasetofinfrastructurerequirementsandassociatedprogrammesforimplementation.Inaddition,CTS-3hasrecommendedtodevelopareviewsystemtoensurethattheneed,timing,scopeandprioritiesoftherelevanthighwayprojectsarere-assessedbeforeimplementationinlightofthelatestdevelopment.2.BACKGROUNDTOCTS-3DevelopmentssinceCTS-22.1CTS-3isthethirdcomprehensivetransportstudy.Thefirststudy,whichwascompletedin1976,resultedinthedecisiontoconstructtheMTRsystemandtherealisationthatitwouldbenecessarytorestrainprivatecartravel.In1986-89,theSecondComprehensiveTransportStudy(CTS-2)formulatedatransportframeworkfortheterritoryuptotheyear2001forapopulationforecastof6.3million.Inviewoftheconsiderableuncertaintiesoftransportplanningatthetime,inparticularthefuturelocationoftheterritory'sairport,thestudyrecommendedthattheimplementationofthestrategyshouldbemonitoredandupdatedonaregularbasis.Accordingly,from1990to1993,theUpdatingoftheSecondComprehensiveTransportStudy(CTS-2Update)wasundertakentoreviewtheCTS-2frameworktakingintoaccounttherelocationoftheairporttoChekLapKok,Metroplan,andvariousreclamationstudies.Theplanninghorizonwasalsoextendedto2011forapopulationforecastof6.6million.2.2CTS-2wasakeystudyinthedevelopmentofHongKong'stransportpolicyandsystems.Itsrecommendationsformedthebasisofthe1990WhitePaperMovingintothe21stCentury.ManyoftheroadandrailinfrastructurerecommendationsoftheWhitePaperhavenowbeenimplemented,asshowninTable2.1.Thebroadpolicydirectionshavealsobeengenerallymaintained.Table2.1ProgressonMajorInfrastructureRecommendationsof1990WhitePaperRecommendationProgressHighwayProjectsNorthLantauExpresswayandLantauFixedCrossingRoute9fromTsingYitoChekLapKokcompletedandopentotrafficin1997.Route3toprovideamajornorth-southlinkbetweentheboundaryandHongKongIslandCompletedandopentotrafficinphasesbetween1997and1998.HungHomBypassOpenedin1999.Route7KennedyTowntoAberdeenLandunavailable–plannedcompletiondate2010.Central–WanChaiBypassandIslandEasternCorridorLinkLandunavailable–plannedcompletiondate2010.Route16betweenShaTinandWestKowloonNowpartofRoute9.Detaileddesigncurrentlyinprogresswithconstructionexpectedtobecompletedby2005.RailwayProjectsAirportRailway/TungChungLineCompletedin1998.MTRTseungKwanOExtensionUnderconstruction,duetobecompletedin2002.WestRail(PhaseI)connectingNWNTandTsuenWanUnderconstruction,duetobecompletedin2003.2.3CTS-2andthesubsequent1990WhitePaperlaidoutbroadtransportpolicydirectionswhichhavehelpedkeepHongKongmoving.However,HongKonghasdevelopedmorerapidlythanwasenvisagedinCTS-2.Forexample,thepopulationforecastfor2001at