[Seoul District News] Confirmation of Demand Forecast Reassessment as Preliminary Procedure Due to Total Project Cost Increase (Ministry of Economy and Finance) & Dobong-gu Requests Basic and Detailed Design Fees to Seoul for Prompt Project Implementation ... Guro-gu Attaches Bird Collision Prevention Film to Noise Barriers ... Yangcheon-gu Installs Ground Lighting for Safe Pedestrian Environment on Residential Side Streets in Sinwol 7-dong and Mok 3-dong Sections 2
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Recently, the demand forecast reassessment for the Uisinseol Extension Line, a process for basic plan approval, was finalized on the 11th of last month, and it is known that the Public Investment Management Center (PIMAC) will implement it.
The Uisinseol Extension Line (Ui~Banghak) is a route aimed at alleviating transportation deprivation and promoting regional balanced development, rather than a profit-generating line. On November 17, 2020, it was changed to a Seoul city financial project, and in March last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Infrastructure Headquarters conducted a "Basic Plan Establishment for the Uisinseol Extension Urban Railway" project, holding a public hearing on March 15 this year to collect residents' opinions.
So far, during negotiations with the Ministry of Economy and Finance regarding the total project cost, the project cost has significantly increased compared to the 2011 preliminary feasibility study, leading to discussions on either a feasibility reassessment or a demand forecast reassessment.
If a feasibility reassessment were to be conducted, the overall feasibility of the project would be re-examined, causing difficulties in project progress; however, with the 'confirmation of demand forecast reassessment,' only the increase or decrease in demand will be reviewed.
According to the results of the basic plan establishment project presented at the residents' public hearing on March 15, since the demand in the basic plan (draft) is higher than that of the preliminary feasibility study, this demand forecast reassessment is regarded as a positive signal for the promotion of the Uisinseol Extension Line.
In the future, after the demand forecast reassessment, the Uisinseol Extension Line will undergo negotiations on the total project cost with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and proceed through the basic plan approval process with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. To expedite the project implementation, Dobong-gu requested Seoul City on the 19th of last month to reflect design costs in next year's main budget so that basic and detailed designs can proceed after the demand forecast reassessment is completed.
Oh Eun-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, stated, "Since this is a project that residents have long awaited, we will strive to promote it promptly. We plan to continuously cooperate and establish a cooperative system with Seoul City to provide new public transportation services within the region."
Inquiries can be made to the Future Transportation Promotion Team of the Transportation Administration Division, Dobong-gu.
"We will protect the birds!"
Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) is conducting a project to attach bird collision prevention films to soundproof walls.
Guro-gu enacted the nation's first "Bird Collision Reduction Ordinance" in 2019 to prevent the increasing number of bird collisions with soundproof walls each year.
According to the "Bird Collision Reduction Ordinance," a pilot project attaching bird collision prevention films was completed last year at three locations around Gocheok Sky Dome.
This year, target sites were selected through on-site inspections including collision risk assessments and bird collision trace investigations, as well as consultations with the Bird Collision Prevention Association.
By the end of this month, tapes engraved with white Braille patterns spaced 5cm horizontally and vertically will be attached to transparent soundproof walls and glass railings at 15 locations, including Daerim Arville Apartments and Sangwoo Apartments.
If the pattern on the prevention film is less than 5cm in height and 10cm in width, birds will avoid attempting to fly through it. Even when using transparent materials, patterns, opacity, and colors are used to make the object recognizable to birds.
Other bird collision prevention measures suggested by the Ministry of Environment include designing soundproof wall facilities to be absorptive or non-transmissive of light as much as possible, or installing minimal transparent panels using transparent soundproof panels with reduction techniques.
Additionally, when constructing new buildings, it is recommended to apply architectural innovative designs that allow birds to avoid collisions, use special glass with complex patterns, ultraviolet reflective patterned glass, or opaque glass. For other glass facilities such as bus stops or subway exits, using glass with geometric line patterns or designs is also a method.
A Guro-gu official said, "We hope to minimize damage to wildlife caused by artificial environments," and added, "We will strive to create an eco-friendly ecological city where humans and animals can coexist."
Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it has installed 'Safe Return Home Floor Lighting (Road Marker)' on back roads in residential areas where crime is a concern, creating an environment where residents can walk with confidence.
The district promoted this project to create a comfortable and safe walking environment for socially vulnerable groups such as women, the elderly, and children.
The project areas are two locations: Sinwol 7-dong (Jiyang-ro 15-gil, Sinwol-dong) and Mok 3-dong (around Mokdong Jungangnam-ro 16na-gil, approximately 300m), where 103 floor lights were installed in back alleys adjacent to residential areas.
This project, selected as a resident participation budget and women-friendly city project in 2022, was carried out by having residents directly select alleys where crime prevention was needed.
In particular, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) was applied to the lighting to suppress criminal psychology through design and effectively block opportunities for crime in advance. Additionally, the floor-embedded installation method was used to minimize inconvenience to road users and light pollution to nearby houses.
Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, "We will continue to expand crime prevention CCTV with voice communication capabilities to create a safe living environment that residents can feel," and added, "We also plan to promote a project to secure safety on children's school routes using floor lighting, building a city environment where all residents can live with peace of mind."
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