Editing Transport in Hong Kong (section)

==== Pavement railings ====
During [[2019–2020 Hong Kong protests|the 2019–2020 pro-democracy protests]] in Hong Kong, {{convert|60|km|mi}} of pavement railings were damaged by the demonstrators.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-09-15|title=CityLab Daily: Hong Kong's Much-Hated Pedestrian Fences Won't Die|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2020-09-15/citylab-daily-hong-kong-s-much-hated-pedestrian-fences-won-t-die|access-date=2020-11-20}}</ref> Hong Kong's Transport and Highways Departments spent an estimated HK$15 million ($1.9 million) of taxpayer money rebuilding and reinforcing the fencing.<ref name="Prasso">{{Cite news|last=Prasso|first=Sheridan|date=September 14, 2020|title=In Hong Kong, the Pedestrian Fences Are Political|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-14/hong-kong-s-much-hated-pedestrian-fences-won-t-die|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> The city government has more than doubled its installation of pedestrian rails, from {{convert|730|km|mi}} in 2010 to {{convert|1500|km|mi}} by 2018.<ref name="Prasso"/> Many of the railings prevent pedestrians from walking in a straight line along major roads by prohibiting direct crossing of perpendicular side streets.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-26|title=Hong Kong's endless railings corral pedestrians like sheep|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1929972/hong-kongs-endless-railings-corral-pedestrians-sheep|access-date=2020-11-20|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=An urban planner mapped every NYC street, and it's 'extremely difficult' to social distance|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/urban-planner-mapped-every-nyc-street-showing-it-s-extremely-n1189936|access-date=2020-11-20|website=NBC News|date=22 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Paul Zimmerman, a [[district councils of Hong Kong|district councillor]] and a member of a government advisory commission to improve urban design,{{which|date=June 2022}} and other pavement-fence critics argue the barriers are emblematic of the way Hong Kong streets are built to prioritise vehicles over pedestrians. The city likes the guardrails because they do not want to slow turning cars but prioritising vehicles limits the ''throughput capacity'' of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-22|title=Designing to Move People|url=https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/introduction/why/designing-move-people/|access-date=2020-11-20|website=National Association of City Transportation Officials|language=en-US}}</ref> Pedestrians who want to walk faster than the shuffling crowds must go into the streets, exposing them to vehicle traffic. The Transport and Highways departments say the railings are critical “to regulate and guide pedestrians for road safety and traffic management purposes.”<ref>{{Cite web|title=LCQ10: Public facilities being vandalised|url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202006/10/P2020061000378.htm|access-date=2020-11-20|website=www.info.gov.hk}}</ref> Hong Kong's high ''population density'' makes ''pedestrian mobility'' complicated and the railings offer a clear distinction between the automobiles and walkers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Table E489 : Land area, mid-year population and population density by District Council district {{!}} Census and Statistics Department|url=https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp150.jsp?productCode=D5320189|access-date=2020-11-20|website=www.censtatd.gov.hk}}</ref> But in a city where less than 10% of the population owns a car, anti-fence advocates question why automobiles get primacy.<ref name="Prasso"/> Nonprofit groups like Walk DVRC, in conjunction with Zimmerman, have worked to remove some of the guardrails but the city believes they are necessary. The railings, which are too flimsy to fend off cars, provide little to no protection from automobiles.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Street Behaviour|date=July 2017|title=Transport for London Road Network|url=http://foi.tfl.gov.uk/FOI-2274-1718/Pedestrian%20railings%20removal%20collisions%20analysis%20%28no%20stats19%29.pdf|journal=Transport for London|pages=3–4}}</ref> Walk DVRC has submitted a detailed proposal including pictures and recommendations for 456 railings.<ref name="Walk DVRC">{{Cite web|title=Railing over railings|url=https://www.walkdvrc.hk/upload/files/research/20200624120139_108.pdf|website=Des Voeux Road Central|publisher=Walk DVRC Ltd.|access-date=November 20, 2020}}</ref> There are 105 of those that they claim “have been removed to the benefit of pedestrians” and should not be reinstalled.<ref name="Walk DVRC"/> Nevertheless, the city is determined to replace the removed railings and is moving forward despite public pushback.