Pedestrian flyovers now lawmakers’ favorite
Once hated, pedestrian flyovers seem to have established themselves as the new favorite transportation facilitation method for several lawmakers at the Legislative Assembly.
At the plenary session on Monday, several lawmakers mentioned this type of project and referenced the example of the once-infamous Taipa’s Avenida de Guimarães pedestrian flyover to call for the expansion of the project, as well as the construction of more of these structures in several areas of the city.
Lawmakers Chui Sai Peng and Lam Lon Wai delivered separate inquiries calling for the expansion of these projects, stating that they facilitate pedestrian transportation and commuting, as well as contributing to more organized traffic and less dangerous interaction between pedestrians and vehicles.
According to Lam, the level of use of the Taipa pedestrian flyover is very good.
“95% of respondents [of a survey] use this crossing, of which 67% use it at least twice a week, so the results are positive. However, to connect [the system] to the Lake Building, the itinerary and access points must comply with the “Urban Planning Plan for the North Zone of Taipa”, therefore, the government must quickly promote the development of this area so it can extend this crossing to other locations,” he said, calling on the government to learn from the experience of the construction on the Taipa flyover to promote better execution on further projects of this kind.
Chui noted that, despite the efforts from the government in building this type of facility, many pedestrians still disregard the rules and insist on putting their lives and those of others at risk by crossing the streets under the flyovers.
Citing several other projects already in planning or undergoing construction, Chui said that, as more pedestrian flyovers are built, the more the citizens get used to them, increasing their effect.
For the lawmaker, a better pedestrian network will contribute to both a better organization of traffic in the streets, shortening the distance and commuting time for residents, and also act a facilitator for tourists, who would be incentivized to explore Macau on foot and so, explore and get to know different areas.
One of the most important projects on this field, currently undergoing construction, is the Guia Hill pedestrian network, expected to be concluded by the end of this year, linking the tourist attraction to both sides of the city via a pedestrian flyover network, tunnels, escalators and elevators linking the ZAPE area and the Outer Harbor to the city center via a shorter route.
