The MTR in Hong Kong...

I recently arrived in Hong Kong to begin a two-month internship with a property development company called Cheung Kong Holdings. I start work on June 21st.

As someone deeply passionate about urban planning, my first observations in Hong Kong were: one, its high density environment and two, its extremely adequate public transit system, known as the Mass Transit Railway (MTR). The MTR is an integral part of Hong Kong's transportation system. I took the MTR from the Airport, located in the far west, to Hung Hom Station located in Kowloon (the station closest to where I am staying).

I had to switch trains a couple of times with my luggage (a pain to carry around) but was completely distracted by the MTR's efficiency, good ridership (approx 4 million trips made on the MTR on an average weekday) and intelligent technology. The trains have TVs that provide updates of transit delays, the weather and local news to name a few. Overall, a much more exciting and interesting way to travel than a cab.

Enviro Boys has blogged extensively about public transit in the past. A lot of my posts on public transit have been based on what I have read from academic journals, news articles and other publications. I have first-hand experience with Toronto's TTC, but this system is in need of desperate revitalization.

The MTR is going to be my main method of transit over the next two months. It could take me anywhere I need to go around Hong Kong. I will use it to go from Kowloon (where I live) to Hong Kong Island (where I work). Most impressively, the MTR is incredibly efficient and affordable! Efficient and affordable public transit systems are a rarity in Canada. Of course, Hong Kong's high density and compactness justify the need for an excllent transit system. Nonetheless, there are so many lessons to learn from the MTR, lessons I will bring with me to Vancouver and my grad program.

There will be more posts about the MTR as the weeks progress. Hopefully, these posts will come from observation and first-hand experience, a different approach to my coverage of public transit on this blog.

Photo Image: Picture of MTR West Line Train courtesy of flickr.com