Enjoy this piece of Hong Kong trivia from the 21 January 2005 issue of HK Magazine (#58).
The Central to Mid-Levels Escalator
The Escalator takes you up the Hill from Central to Mid-Levels. It was orginally designed to alleviate the incredible amount of commuter foot traffic from the very narrow Hong Kong sidewalks. It goes downhill from 6:00 AM to 10:15 AM (for all the commuters) and then uphill the rest of the day.
Steps alongside the escalator: about 776
Rise: 135 Meters
Length: 800m (longest outdoor escalator system in the world)
Initial estimated cost: $15.1 million
Final cost: $275 million
Passengers daily: 49,781
Time to construct: two and a half years (completed Oct 15, 1993)
Travel Time Central to Mid-Levels: Approximately 20 minutes
Number of bars/restaurant bars in immediate vicinity: 19
Pints consumed on Saturday night in typical pub alongside escalator: 300+
Romances consummated on Saturday night in typical restaurant bar alongside
escalator: about half a dozen
Estimated monthly electricity bill: $500,000
sources: HK Government, Search Spaniel, Highways Department, The Dublin Jack, Jaspas Restaurant and Bar, Guardian Property Management, Ltd.
Comments