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Noise Planning Advice Summary
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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) devotes considerable efforts to pre-empting noise problems that may arise from land use and public work planning activities. These efforts are useful in ensuring new noise-sensitive uses will not be exposed to excessive noise, new infrastructure will not cause insurmountable noise problems, and opportunities for noise improvement during urban redevelopment will be seized as they arise. Statistics for planning advice/cases over the years are shown in Figure 1. The majority of these are related to major planning studies (see Figure 2).
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Figure 1 - Statistics on Noise Planning Advice/Cases
See Data |
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Figure 2 - Breakdown of 1 210 Noise Planning Advice/Cases in 2007
[Figure 2 - Breakdown of 1 370 Noise Planning Advice/Cases in 2006]
See Data |
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Strategies to Reduce Traffic Noise
The Government takes road traffic noise problems very seriously. Strategic policies and plans have been developed over the years to address the problems. Through proactive actions taken via a 4-pronged approach: (a) prevention of traffic noise problems through planning and environmental impact assessment, (b) avoid importing noisy vehicles into Hong Kong through legislation, (c) abatement of noise at existing roads, and (d) getting the public and other stakeholders involved through education, engagement and partnership programme, many residents have benefited from the existing measures. To further strengthen our work in this respect, we issued in 2006 a Draft Comprehensive Plan to Tackle Road Traffic Noise in Hong Kong and are actively pursuing the proposed enhanced measures by exploring their feasibility and working out the implementation details. It has all along been recognized that the prevention of traffic noise problems through conscientious planning is the most effective means in tackling the issue. In that respect, various measures as shown in Table 1 are under active planning and implementation in Hong Kong to reduce traffic noise. A number of strategic planning or transport studies, which are conducted by the other departments, most prominently the CTS-3 and the HK2030 studies, had recommended strategies and noise improvement measures that were closely in line with EPD's established plans and policie.
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| Table 1 - Various Strategic Measures under Active Planning or Implementation to Reduce Traffic Noise Pollution |
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Strategic Measures to Reduce Noise Pollution
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Status
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| Environmental friendly Transport modes |
With the completion of five railway projects from 2002 to 2005, the railway network expanded over 200km. New projects such as the West Island Line, Shatin to Central Link, South Island Line and Hong Kong section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link are under active planning.Possibility of introducing trolley bus/monorail among other environmentally friendly transport modes in new development areas such as the Kai Tak Development to be investigated. |
| More Depressed roads or putting new roads underground as far as practicable |
A number of new underpasses and tunnels are now operating. |
| Pedestrianisation |
Pedestrianisation schemes have been introduced in different districts such as Central, Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Stanley, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Shek Wu Hui. |
| More stringent vehicle noise emission standards |
Regulation was amended in 2002 to follow the latest European Union and Japanese requirements. |
| More extensive use of low noise road surfacing |
34 trial road sections had been laid with low noise surface materials as at end of 2007. Additional 26 local roads are included in the trial programme. |
| Retrofitting existing roads with barriers or enclosures |
31 noisy road sections identified in the retrofitting programme are included in the public works programme. Noise barriers have been erected along 2 road sections. Barriers along 6 road sections are under construction/ upgraded to Cat A. Follow-up action for noise barriers along other road sections are in progress. |
| Improve Joints at flyovers |
Initial study on the riding quality of bridge movement joint has been conducted. A further study to review the findings and liaise with movement joint suppliers to develop better design is in progress |
| Traffic management on noise ground |
Traffic management scheme at Texaco Road Flyover has been implemented. |
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Protecting New Dwellings from Excessive Noise
Two types of noise are of concern when planning new housing developments: traffic noise and industrial noise. The EPD has provided noise planning advice for large development and re-development projects, as well as for comparatively smaller residential proposals made to the Town Planning Board.
The relevant planning requirements are stipulated in Chapter 9 of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. The goal is not so much to mitigate against noise, but to avoid incompatible land uses being put close to each other. However, in cases of urban re-development in particular, it is difficult to achieve full compliance with the road traffic noise standard. Screens or barriers can be erected, or the building design may have noise-sensitive windows facing away from the roads. But this may not be enough and good insulation windows often are required as a last resort to further minimise noise impacts.
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Figure 3 - Noise Improvement through Planning Involvement in 2007
[Figure 3 - Noise Improvement through Planning Involvement in 2006]
See Data |
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