Boardwalk rocks despite pet peeves

Marcus Lum

The western section of the East Coast Boardwalk, connecting the East Coast Park Precinct and the North Point Promenade, opened to the public yesterday, with local residents praising its design but calling for more pet-friendly facilities.

Shum, who lives nearby, said the new boardwalk was suitable for pet owners to walk their furry friends.

"It's very suitable for walking the dogs," he said.

"It's easy to clean, and the overall design is nice - even when it's drizzling outside, we don't feel any raindrops falling as we're under the bridge," he said. The boardwalk is underneath the Island Eastern Corridor in North Point.

However, Shum said, insufficient facilities for dogs makes it inconvenient for their owners.

"For example, there aren't many pet waste trash bins," he said.

Lin, another area resident, said he was excited to be able to jog in the new zone.

"I'm quite happy as before we had to stop jogging [at the East Coast] because of the road outside," Lin said.

However, he was concerned that it may be dangerous to share the boardwalk with cyclists.

The eastern section of the East Coast Boardwalk is expected to be completed in the second half.

Once fully open, the 13-kilometer boardwalk will connect the harborfront from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan.