Barrier Free Conditions of Mass Rapid Transit Stations in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, it is estimated that aging will be rapidly going on after 2010. Increase of the elderly means increase of the disabled. In Hong Kong, there are 3 KCR lines(East Line, West Line and Ma On Shan Line) and 7 MTR lines(Kwun Tong Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Island Line, Tsueng Wan O Line，Tung Chung Line, Airport Line and Disneyland Line) in 2006. This study firstly made the actual conditions of barrier free at all 81 stations clear. It secondly made problems clear. It thirdly showed proposals of barrier free improvement and issues in future. Field survey of all 81 stations was carried out in order to grasp actual conditions of barrier free at each station，such as platform including platform-doors, lift and/or escalator between platform and concourse, concourse itself, lift and/or escalator between concourse and ground level, ground level near the exits of each station. Transfer mass rapid transit to others such as LRT，bus，Taxi or private car was also investigated. Platform-doors are attached at underground stations but they are not attached at elevated stations except some of new stations of KCR West Line and Disneyland Line. Lifts between platform and concourse are attached at most of stations. As for MTR Kwun Tong Line and KCR East Line，there are many barriers which should be improved because both lines began to operate in early times. Opinions and requests of passengers were not affected to the barrier free improvement plan and project except inquiry. Conference or coordination committee among various traffic agencies, related administration and passengers including the elderly and the disabled should be necessary to realize barrier free society in Hong Kong.Proceedings of TRANSED 2010, USB Memor

Barrier Free Project in Muroran City

Higashi-muroran Station is the main railway station in Muroran City. The concourse of the Station has been connected to the passage between west exit and east one. The old exits of the passage had only staircases with many steps so that those were inconvenient for the elderly，the disabled and others. Based on Public Transport Barrier Free Act，Barrier Free Promotion Plan Making Committee was established in March 2001. There are hospitals，commercial facilities and public facilities around the Station so that Higashi-muroran Area was designated“Barrier Free Promotion Area"and actual conditions of barrier free of the Area were investigated by Muroran lnstitute of Technology. The Barrier Free Promotion Plan of the Area was made under the Committee and approved by Ministry of Land，lnfrastructure，Transport and Tourism in July 2001. It was the first case of all the cities in Japan. Based on the plan，the barrier free project has been carried out. The Project consists of as followings; (1)Construction of new passage with lifts and escalators for up and down (2)lmprovement of the Station with lifts between two platforms and concourse (3)Barrier free improvement of pedestrian ways and crossings of roads (4)Newly install of traffic signals with sound and signals with button switch The Project mostly completed until the end of fiscal year 2010(March 2011)Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference for Universal Design in Hamamatsu 2010, USB CD-Ro

Barrier Free Project in Muroran City

application/pdfHigashi-muroran Station is the main railway station in Muroran City. The concourse of the Station has been connected to the passage between west exit and east one. The old exits of the passage had only staircases with many steps so that those were inconvenient for the elderly，the disabled and others. Based on Public Transport Barrier Free Act，Barrier Free Promotion Plan Making Committee was established in March 2001. There are hospitals，commercial facilities and public facilities around the Station so that Higashi-muroran Area was designated“Barrier Free Promotion Area"and actual conditions of barrier free of the Area were investigated by Muroran lnstitute of Technology. The Barrier Free Promotion Plan of the Area was made under the Committee and approved by Ministry of Land，lnfrastructure，Transport and Tourism in July 2001. It was the first case of all the cities in Japan. Based on the plan，the barrier free project has been carried out. The Project consists of as followings; (1)Construction of new passage with lifts and escalators for up and down (2)lmprovement of the Station with lifts between two platforms and concourse (3)Barrier free improvement of pedestrian ways and crossings of roads (4)Newly install of traffic signals with sound and signals with button switch The Project mostly completed until the end of fiscal year 2010(March 2011)Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference for Universal Design in Hamamatsu 2010, USB CD-Ro