Creating Pedestrian-First Streets with New Walkways, Colored Crosswalk Patterns, and Priority Road Designation
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) recently completed construction to transform three sections totaling 1,250 meters, including Sinlimdong-gil near Sinlim Station, into pedestrian-friendly streets aimed at ensuring pedestrian safety and revitalizing the local commercial district.
Since 2019, the district has been participating in the Seoul City pedestrian environment improvement contest to upgrade narrow residential backstreets into safer roads for pedestrians. With a total investment of 1.53 billion KRW from both city and district funds, the project was carried out.
Sinlimdong-gil near Sinlim Station was developed as a "Fashion Culture Street" in the early 2000s, densely populated with clothing stores. However, over time, it gradually shifted to restaurants and pubs, leading to significant commercial decline.
In response, the district undertook measures including ▲reconfiguring lane widths ▲establishing new pedestrian paths ▲creating pedestrian-priority roads ▲applying colored patterned pavement at intersections ▲installing decorative lighting, thereby rebirthing the area as 'Sinlimdong Starlight Street,' a pedestrian-first, walkable space.
In Section 1, stretching from behind Exit 5 of Sinlim Station to Boramae Park, 2-meter-wide colored patterned pedestrian paths were created on both sides, and colored patterned pavement was applied at backstreet intersections to enhance pedestrian convenience and prevent vehicle accidents.
Section 2, previously a popular cultural walking street, saw replacement of sidewalk blocks and installation of tactile paving. To address the issue of frequent illegal parking, a public parking lot was established securing 56 on-street parking spaces including 37 unmanned system parking spots.
Section 3, the area with the highest concentration of stores, faced challenges in creating pedestrian paths due to its two-way traffic roads. The entire section was designated as a pedestrian-priority road and beautified with distinctive colored patterned pavement.
By creating pedestrian-centered specialized streets around Sinlim Station, the district aims to establish Gwanak-gu as a representative landmark and expects this to contribute to revitalizing the surrounding local economy.
Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, “We will continue to promote pedestrian environment improvement and specialized street projects to provide safe and pleasant walking environments for pedestrians and do our best to revive the local economy, which has been weakened by COVID-19.”
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