Starbucks Taereungipgu Station Drive-Thru Traffic Chaos and Accident Concerns

Seoul City Councilor Lee Eun-ju (Nowon 2) Inspects Construction Site of 'Starbucks Taereungipgu Station Drive-Thru' with Seoul City, Nowon-gu, and Starbucks Coffee Korea Officials... Demands Measures to Address Pedestrian and Vehicle Safety Risks Due to Narrow Access Roads

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seoul Metropolitan Council Transportation Committee member Eun-ju Lee (Democratic Party, Nowon 2) visited the under-construction 'Starbucks Taereungipgu Station Drive-Thru' (hereinafter 'Starbucks Taereungipgu Station DT') store on the 12th, urging Seoul city, Nowon-gu officials, and Starbucks representatives to strongly prepare measures to prevent safety accidents and alleviate congestion on Hwarang-ro after the opening.

The drive-thru service, which allows ordering, payment, and pickup all within the vehicle, started in the United States in 1930 and was first introduced domestically in 1992 at the McDonald's Haeundae branch.

Starbucks currently operates 39 drive-thru stores in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, and the 'Starbucks Taereungipgu Station DT' store is under construction on the 2nd floor with a size of 130 PY, aiming to open on May 20.

According to Councilor Lee Eun-ju, “The entrance and exit of the store under construction are narrow and the traffic flow is not smooth, raising concerns about potential accidents between vehicles using the service,” pointing out, “Such entrance and exit sections could lead not only to vehicle-to-vehicle accidents but also vehicle-to-pedestrian accidents, making it urgent to establish safety measures to prevent accidents.”

Councilor Lee said, “Vehicles using the drive-thru store currently located in Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu occupy one lane, making traffic flow difficult on the same road section,” and added, “The entrance to the Starbucks Taereungipgu Station DT is operated as a bus-only lane along the roadside, and a bus stop is located about 30 meters behind the store, so it is obvious that lane occupation by waiting vehicles using the store will cause inconvenience to bus users.”

Furthermore, Councilor Lee stated, “The Hwarang-ro section where the store is located is a heavily trafficked area due to vehicles coming from Namyangju and Guri City via Sinnae IC, so the lane occupation by vehicles using the store will have an unimaginable impact on the main line of Hwarang-ro,” urging Seoul city, Nowon-gu, and Starbucks officials to take a fresh start and strongly prepare countermeasures regarding the anticipated safety and traffic issues.

Councilor Lee also noted, “In 2018, during the administrative audit of the Transportation Committee in which I was involved, I pointed out the safety measures and lane occupation of waiting vehicles at drive-thru stores operated by Starbucks Coffee Korea and McDonald's Korea.”

She added, “Considering the increasing non-face-to-face services via drive-thru due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, both the public and private sectors should actively review safety and traffic improvement plans for drive-thru stores so that drive-thrus can become convenient facilities that are safe and comfortable for both vehicle users and pedestrians.”