Give me a break; give me a lift

The Central Mid Levels Escalator connects the
Central District to the Mid Levels

Here in Hong Kong, I walk to and from work most days, and we do most of our shopping and errands on foot as well.  We chose our apartment primarily because its location allows us to walk nearly anywhere we need to go.  But Hong Kong has a major challenge for even the most devoted walker: some very steep slopes.  Our apartment building is on Robinson Road, one of the higher streets in the West Mid Levels neighborhood.  When we first arrived, I embraced the daily walk to and from my office in Central.  The downhill morning walk was a breeze, of course, but the hike back up the hill at the end of the day got old quickly, particularly as the heat and humidity of summer set in.  Fortunately, always-efficient Hong Kong has a unique landmark that gives me a lift to and from the office, while allowing me to retain my status of pedestrian commuter.



Queen's Road Central entry point of the Escalator

Extending about one-half mile and rising more than 440 feet over its length, the Central Mid Levels Escalator is made up of twenty three escalators and travellators connected by walkways and elevated foot bridges to form a kind of pedestrian freeway. Starting at the bottom in the Central business district, it winds up through the Soho and Mid Levels districts to Conduit Road at the top. Riding the entire length of it takes 20-25 minutes, and many people pass the time staring at smartphones, while others walk the moving sections. Because of Hong Kong's geography, a comparable trip by car would involve several miles of zigzag driving. The Escalator was constructed in 1993 with the goal of easing traffic congestion, but was criticized when traffic did not improve after its opening.  And its construction cost of $32 million was significantly over budget, but the Escalator has been a success and now carries around 55,000 people per day, twice original estimates.  Confirming the success and popularity of the Escalator, a second, two-way Escalator system is now being constructed to the west of the Mid Levels, not far from our apartment in the Sai Ying Pun district.

Most of the Escalator is covered, protecting
pedestrians from the rain

Construction of the Escalator triggered a mini economic boom along its route, with restaurants, bars and a variety of shops opening along its edges.  From the elevated walkways there is terrific view of various street markets and stalls below.  With rents already quite high in Hong Kong, Jeff and I have often wondered what the rental premium must be for those lucky businesses with locations that face the Escalator and exposure to the generally affluent population that ride it up and down each day.

Occasionally a section is
closed for maintenance...

...forcing pedestrians to climb the steep slope

Because the Escalator was squeezed into an already-congested area at the time it was constructed, there wasn't enough room for a two-way system.  So the escalators and travellators operate downhill from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at which time they are then reversed to run uphill for the rest of the day.  It takes about twenty minutes to reverse the flow and restart all the sections.  There is a walking area alongside the escalators for pedestrians heading against the flow of traffic.   

A section of elevated walkway over Hollywood Road

For the many pedestrian commuters in Hong Kong, it is an ideal thoroughfare, providing an alternative to narrow, traffic-clogged streets and protection from tropical downpours as well as a lift.  Indeed, it is so popular with Central District office workers that during peak usage periods on weekday mornings and evenings, you can see pedestrians impatiently passing one another and even "tailgating" when they can't  get by, patterns of behavior that seem eerily similar to me from my many years commuting on Interstate 394 back in Minnesota.  People adhere strictly to the unwritten rule that says users must stand on the right to create a path for those who choose to walk on the left.  Those who dare to violate that rule, whether intentionally or by accident, are liable to get a Cantonese reprimand from anyone in a hurry.

The unwritten rules dictate that users stand on the right
to make room for walkers on the left

Most mornings, I continue to walk to work through the myriad of streets between our apartment and Central.  I'm simply taking advantage of the downhill trip to explore and continue to learn my way around Hong Kong, but in the evenings, I have become a devoted user of the Escalator to get a lift up the hill at the end of the day.

An elevated footbridge crossing Caine Road
on the upper end of the Escalator