Seongdong-gu Wangsimni Doseondong U-turn Lane Established... Traffic Flow Improvement

[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Improves Traffic Flow with New U-Turn Lane from Wangsimni Doseondong Community Center to Hwanghak Intersection over 3 Years ... Nowon-gu Launches ‘Road Traffic Flow Improvement Project’ for Pedestrian Safety and Landscape Enhancement at Nowon Station Intersection ... Gangdong-gu Installs Smart Crosswalks for Children's Pedestrian Safety ... Dongjak-gu Analyzes CCTV Vehicle Traffic Data to Improve Inefficient Traffic System ... Yangcheon-gu Accelerates Creation of ‘Yongwangsan Dalbit Street’ in Mok 2-dong Alley ... Dongdaemun-gu Conducts Joint Illegal Tuning Crackdown with Dongdaemun Police Station until October

Intersection after installation of U-turn lane in Doseon-dong, Wangsimni

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that the construction of a U-turn lane allowing access from Majang-ro to Hwanghak Intersection in front of Wangsimni Doseondong Community Service Center was completed at the end of July.

This location had been a source of inconvenience as there was no U-turn lane at the intersection near Wangsimni Doseondong Community Service Center for those heading to Hwanghak Intersection and Tens Hill Complex 2 apartments, forcing drivers to take a long detour that added more than 5 minutes to travel time, leading to continuous complaints.

To resolve these inconveniences for residents, the district has been continuously monitoring the site and consulting with related parties including Seoul City, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Seongdong Police Station since 2019. After passing the traffic safety facility review in May 2020, the detailed design and consultations with related agencies were conducted from 2021 to 2022, resulting in the establishment of the U-turn lane at the end of July after about three years, fulfilling the long-standing request of Doseondong residents.

To secure the U-turn lane, the project included improvements to the sidewalk and bicycle road alignment, relocation of surrounding street trees, streetlights, and unmanned traffic enforcement cameras, followed by lane reorganization, new pavement markings for the U-turn lane, and installation of traffic safety signs.

In April, Seongdong-gu also completed the construction of a new crosswalk and U-turn lane towards Hwayang Intersection around Seongdong Tax Office on Gwangnaru-ro, improving pedestrian convenience for residents in Songjeong-dong and dispersing traffic volume towards Gangnam, thereby enhancing traffic accessibility.

Adjustments to signal systems and lane improvements that cause inconvenience to residents require consultations with various related agencies and involve numerous administrative procedures, which take considerable time. Accordingly, the district promptly responds by comprehensively collecting residents' complaints and conducting joint inspections with the local police station.

Seongdong-gu is gaining residents' trust and establishing itself as the largest transportation hub city in the metropolitan area by not only improving daily traffic inconveniences but also solving major transportation issues such as expanding Jangteo-gil and confirming GTX-C train stops at Wangsimni Station, as well as creating public parking lots at Majang Livestock Market and Ttukseom Resin.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “Installing the U-turn lane will not only resolve residents' traffic inconveniences but is also expected to significantly reduce the risk of traffic accidents. We will continue to implement traffic inconvenience improvement projects targeting major points that cause significant inconvenience to residents and make great efforts to build a ‘traffic safety city.’”

Aerial View of Nowon Station Intersection

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will carry out a road traffic flow improvement project around Nowon Station intersection, a representative central street of the area, by the end of this year.

According to a big data analysis of urban leisure and commercial districts conducted by the district earlier this year, the area around Nowon Station is a representative high foot traffic area with over 18.1 million visitors in 2021 alone. It is also a major intersection where about 4,300 vehicles pass per hour on weekday mornings, including vehicles entering Seoul from Uijeongbu and those exiting to Dongbu Expressway.

The district has been promoting the project since January last year by forming a task force team to improve traffic flow and landscape in the area, providing residents with a convenient and pleasant walking environment. After design review by the Public Design Promotion Committee in May this year, full-scale construction began in July and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The total project cost is 3.064 billion KRW, divided mainly into three parts: removal of traffic islands, landscaping improvements, and maintenance of public facilities.

First, the traffic islands at the intersection will be removed and the corners of the intersection will be filled in to expand sidewalks. Traffic islands had been criticized for causing pedestrian route discontinuity and creating blind spots for drivers, leading to continuous demands for improvement.

Accordingly, the district will remove the traffic islands and expand the sidewalk area up to 650 square meters. The width of crosswalks will also be expanded from 8 meters to 10 meters and repositioned. Additionally, smart poles integrating CCTV, streetlights, traffic signals, and LED floor signals will be installed as part of the traffic facility works.

Next, urban aesthetics improvement works will be carried out simultaneously. Overhead traffic signal cables will be buried underground to secure pedestrian sightlines. Landscaping such as green belts suitable for the expanded sidewalks will be created, turning Nowon Station intersection into a pleasant scenic street for walking.

Finally, old banner stands will be removed and public facilities such as bollards and bicycle racks designed in the Nowon style will be installed. Notably, four smart shade shelters will be installed in front of crosswalks; these shelters automatically open and close their canopies based on wind speed and temperature and automatically turn on LED lights after sunset, contributing to a comfortable walking environment.

The district expects this project to bring effects such as psychological stability for pedestrians, reduction of pedestrian accidents caused by right-turning vehicles, improved travel speed of straight-going vehicles, and overall traffic flow improvement.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “The road traffic flow project aims to remove traffic islands, which have been identified as causes of traffic accidents, and widen sidewalks to create a pedestrian-centered environment. We will closely cooperate with related agencies and complete the construction quickly to ensure residents do not experience inconvenience.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced that it has installed smart crosswalks in school zones and major school routes to ensure the safety of pedestrians, including children.

The newly installed smart crosswalks include ▲Runway-type crosswalks and ▲Intersection alert devices (photo).

The ‘Runway-type crosswalk’ embeds guide lights at regular intervals along both sides of non-signalized crosswalks to enhance driver visibility. Previously, the district installed runway-type crosswalks at 32 locations in school zones and areas with high traffic accident risk, and in 2022, installed them at 23 additional school zones and major school routes.

The ‘Intersection alert device’ operates with continuous yellow flashing lights during the day to remind drivers of the intersection ahead, aiding safe driving. At night, it detects vehicle headlights approaching the intersection and lights up red headlights on the left and right sides of the vehicle to alert both drivers and pedestrians, helping prevent traffic accidents.

Accordingly, these devices were installed at 15 locations in school zones and major school routes located on non-signalized side roads with high traffic accident risk.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “Installing smart crosswalks in school zones is expected to contribute to creating a safer Gangdong-gu for children. We will continue to expand the installation of traffic safety facilities for the safety of children and pedestrians.”

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced on the 2nd that it was honored to be the only autonomous district in Seoul selected for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘2022 Public Big Data Standard Analysis Model Establishment Project’ competition.

With this selection, the district has proven its status as a leading district in the ‘CCTV vehicle traffic volume analysis big data’ field among Seoul’s autonomous districts and secured a project budget of 30 million KRW.

This competition targeted central agencies, local governments, and public institutions, focusing on three areas with high public interest and administrative demand: ▲CCTV vehicle traffic volume analysis ▲Digital transformation of small business owners ▲Crime environment prevention.

In particular, the district was highly evaluated for securing objective data through consultations with video analysis technology experts and the level of institutional interest in the project.

The ‘Dongjak-gu CCTV Vehicle Traffic Volume Analysis Project’ will utilize intelligent CCTV to analyze traffic volume by lane, time, and vehicle type, as well as video analysis data of signal violations, to analyze and predict ▲traffic congestion levels and ▲causes of accidents, providing objective evidence for traffic policy formulation.

Additionally, the district is promoting projects such as the installation of left-turn and U-turn lanes at Sinsangdo Elementary School intersection and a U-turn lane at Gyeongnam Honorsville Apartments in Sindaebang-dong, and plans to expand the road network in habitual congestion areas.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, emphasized, “We have laid the foundation for Dongjak to grow into a convenient traffic city by improving unreasonable traffic systems, a pledge of the 8th local government. We will enhance residents’ quality of life by making decisions based on big data during policy implementation.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Ki-jae) announced that it is accelerating the creation of the specialized street ‘Yongwangsan Moonlight Street’ in the alleys of Mok 2-dong (Mokdong Jungangbuk-ro, Mokdong Jungangbuk-ro 16-gil).

This street connects Yeomchang Station to Yongwangsan and construction has been underway since March this year with the goal of completion within the year. The district secured a total budget of 1.1 billion KRW (city and district funds) to lay the foundation for the specialized street.

As part of the ‘Ensuring Safety on Children’s School Routes’ project, the district newly constructed sidewalks on the section connecting Mok 2-dong Market Street to Yanghwa Elementary School’s school zone. Additionally, outdated fire safety equipment in the alley residential area was completely replaced, and CCTV and emergency bells were maintained to create a safe passage environment that anyone can trust.

For further alley environment improvement, village flower beds were reorganized, and signs indicating ‘Yongwangsan Moonlight Street’ and ‘Our Neighborhood Walking Course’ were attached to utility poles to prevent illegal advertisements and serve as alley guides. Smart bulletin boards and garbage disposal notification boards were also installed to provide close access to district news and village information.

The district plans to refurbish 197 stores by the end of the year with distinctive LED signs tailored to building characteristics using various materials. Solar lighting and stair landings will be installed on the stairway leading into the Yeomchang Station village to enhance pedestrian safety, and the old exterior walls of buildings on both sides of the stairs will be painted to apply the Yongwangsan Moonlight Street BI (brand image).

Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “Through this specialized street project in the alleys of Mok 2-dong, we aim to revitalize the neighborhood alley commercial district and contribute to improving residents’ quality of life by ensuring safe school routes for children. We will proceed with construction without delay until the end of the year to create a warm and friendly Mok 2-dong Moonlight Street.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) will conduct special crackdowns on illegally tuned motorcycles until October to create a pleasant and safe urban environment that leads to residents’ happiness.

With the boom in delivery services due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the number of motorcycles has surged, leading to an increase in traffic law violations and frequent complaints from residents about noise pollution, prompting the district to carry out focused crackdowns.

Monthly crackdowns will be conducted mainly on major motorcycle routes and residential areas. The main targets are ▲illegal tuning (unauthorized modification of mufflers) and ▲violations of safety standards (illegal lighting devices) on motorcycles. Illegal tuning is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW, and violations related to safety standards may incur fines of up to 1 million KRW.

Since April, the district has been conducting joint crackdowns with Dongdaemun Police Station every month and has so far detected 34 cases of illegal tuning such as fog lamps and mufflers. Nighttime joint crackdowns are also planned for August.

Kim Man-ho, Director of the Construction and Transportation Bureau, said, “We hope this joint crackdown will raise awareness about the dangers of illegally operated motorcycles threatening traffic safety. We will actively work to create a pleasant and safe urban environment through the crackdown on illegally tuned motorcycles.”