Is Star Ferry going down?
 

I read an article that said the famous Star Ferry wharf and star ferry service will cease operations to make way for a duel bypass and shopping complex on reclaimed land. Is this true? Is this the end of the Star Ferry service?

On my office window, I can look out to the new star ferry. So, it is just being replaced by a nice looking new ferry terminas. A further 10 minutes walk from the old one.

Picture taken 3 days ago by a friend of mine. http://www.jellybubble.com/panorama/NewCentralPier.HTM

Not yet - it's just moved a bit closer to TST.

I think there are still 3 or 4 more stages in the reclamation before Victoria Harbour is closed off completely.

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/images...13/cartoon.jpg

A post in this forum on Dec 4 2004:

The location of the new Central Pier haven't killed off Star Ferry, but the proposed relocation of the bus terminus in Tsimshatsui will probably cut passenger load so much that Star Ferry will eventually become just a tourist attraction with a high fare rather than a true public transport. Like the Peak Tram with a $20 fare.

When I was in HK last week, I saw that MTR has rented out all the advertising spots in the pedestrian tunnel between the old Star Ferry and Statue Square, telling people how fast it is to get from Tsimshatsui from Central by MTR. I think those working in some parts of Central who used to take the Star Ferry (like at the Hong Kong Bank, Cheung Kong Center, Bank of America Center, etc) will likely switch, as the walk from the new ferry is definitely getting too long.

Are you guys exaggerating about reclamation of the harbor? Surely they won't completely bridge the harbor.

That is a shame about the Ferry. So cheap and efficient.

But perhaps the metro is carrying more people across the harbor?

We may be exaggerating a little, but not that much.

When I measure the route of the Star Ferry on Google Earth, the length was about 0.9 mile for the past 40+ years. Now it's just over 0.6 mile.

If you measure at other points, it's about 0.75 miles from the Intercontinental to Convention Ave in Wan Chai, which has been the shoreline for most of the latter part of the 20th C.

But with the Convention Center extension sticking out in the harbor and the proposed plan to fill up the harbor between there and Central, the width of the harbor will be cut down to about 0.55 mile, a significant 25% reduction. And we're not even talking about the massive West Kowloon reclamation or that at Hong Hom Bay.

We're at a point where filling up the harbor doesn't sound that far fetch. Extremely large reclamation project has been going on in other parts of Hong Kong in recent years, like the sea between Stone Cutter's Island and the mainland for container terminals, Junk Bay for housing projects, Disney, and of course the airport.

And just think about the benefits without the harbor. No further need to build tunnels, and the traffic jams can be relieved. They can easily extend the KCR to Hong Kong Island, benefitting tens of thousands of commuters, etc... And it's not like it's an active harbor for ocean-going vessels anyways! All we see are ferries which will no longer be necessary, and the few gambling boats, which can be easily relocated...

Isn't HK a big port with containers for big cargo ships? Where are those?

If you get rid of the harbor, a lot of harbor-front property loses its value, no?

Who's going to pay premiums for harbor-view rooms at the Intercontinental then? Or pay $30 for a hamburger, fries and drink meal at the restaurant there?

Nowhere near the Star Ferry (zoom out to see location relative to Central and TST), which is why it's possible to fill in the harbour for the sake of filthy lucre.

I don't know how big a part of the HK economy tourism is but if they get rid of the harbor, that has to hurt tourism.

Hotels probably won't be pleased.

What exactly do they have such a burning need to build that they would fill up the harbor?

What about the southern part of the island? Seems there's a lot of undeveloped land there. Of course the smog over the South China Sea looks even worse than over the harbor but it sounds like they want more land at any costs.

What about north towards PRC? If they're willing to fill up the harbor, does it matter if that is way inland?

Storm in a teacup
 

Honestly, nothing like a good media beat up...

While I'm not in agreement with the continued reclamation of parts of Victoria Harbour (more than enough already), the relocation of the Star Ferry terminus on Hong Kong side is actually a good move, in my opinion.

It simply joins the other Ferry Piers, making an efficient Ferry Terminus that allows simple transits to and from the Star Ferry to Outer Island Ferries. I'd wager a good number of Outer Island Commuters may now come back to the Star Ferry for their crossing to TST (DrD included)

As for tourism, it's still a go.

I hope it is a storm in a tea cup! When I fly to Europe I like to fly via HK and spend a few days. If HK lost Victoria Harbour and the star ferries other places like Bangkok and Singapore become an option.

Nooooooooooooo - paws firmly off the southside please. Don't give them any ideas. For those of us that live there it's a sanctuary away from the madness of places like Causeway Bay.

yeah, hands off Stanley. Don't you dare build public housing estates there!!

Whoops, too late. Let's move along to Repulse Bay now.........

You are forgetting the number one reason to add land to Central. It's about the money. The politicians can then setup rigged bids for their crony friends to buy the land and everyone gets rich.