Changwon Special City Mayor Hong Nampyo, "Improving Traffic Environment That Citizens Can Feel This Year"

Establishing the Foundation for a Public Transit-Friendly City with City Bus Route Reorganization and S-BRT Implementation

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam pursued bold innovation and challenging policies throughout the year to expand transportation infrastructure suitable for the enlarged city scale after integration and to lay the foundation for transportation hubs within the metropolitan living area.

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, is speaking at the National Railroad Network Plan meeting.

In line with the city’s administrative direction of “laying the foundation for future innovative growth,” Changwon is proactively responding to build a future-oriented transportation system and is introducing and promoting various transportation modes to transform into an eco-friendly public transportation-centered city.

We take a look at the transportation policies implemented in 2023 to enhance citizens’ quality of life and to help Changwon emerge as a well-connected transportation city driving its growth.

Through close cooperation with central government ministries, the city opened the Changwon?Suseo SRT line on September 1. Operating four times a day, it offers a 12% fare discount compared to KTX and allows direct access to Seoul’s Gangnam area without transfers, reducing travel time by more than 20 minutes. The opening of the direct high-speed train on the Gyeongjeon Line to Suseo not only expands citizens’ living areas but also supports smooth economic activities for businesses as a transportation service.

Additionally, through railway construction connecting Changwon’s new growth engines?‘Changwon National Industrial Complex 2.0,’ ‘Jinhae New Port,’ and ‘Gadeokdo New Airport’?the city plans to establish itself as the center of a tri-port (airport, port, railway) hub.

In March, the Masan Station Future Transfer Center (MaaS Station) was selected in a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport public contest. Masan Station will be developed as a transportation hub connecting and transferring between future mobility modes such as rail, bus, tram, UAM, autonomous vehicles, and PM, drastically reducing transfer times to within 60 seconds. The Masan Station plaza will be redeveloped into a citizen plaza, contributing to urban regeneration and revitalization of commercial districts.

The Wonidaero S-BRT construction project (Dokye-dong to Gaeumjeong Intersection) officially began in April and is accelerating toward completion by March next year. Selected as a pilot project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2020, the S-BRT project is expected to shift the transportation system from car-centered to public transportation-centered, offering next-generation public transit with punctuality, convenience, and safety.

The city is promoting amendments to the Road Act to ensure that Changwon Special City’s road construction plans are included in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s “Metropolitan Area Traffic Congestion Road Improvement Plan,” which is established every five years. Once related laws are revised, smooth project implementation through national funding will enable the construction of new road networks connecting the city center and outskirts and accelerate the establishment of an advanced metropolitan transportation system linked with various public transportation modes for improved accessibility and convenience.

In September, the ‘Sapa Complex Public Parking Lot’ opened to resolve chronic parking issues in the commercial and business facilities area of Sapa-dong, Seongsan-gu. Transformed from a temporary parking lot with 140 spaces to a large-scale two-story parking lot with 244 spaces, it has contributed to increased resident satisfaction.

Furthermore, with the full-scale development of Jinhae New Port, efforts are being intensified to resolve illegal parking issues of large freight vehicles by establishing a public freight vehicle parking lot in the eastern Jinhae area. The final site was selected last month, and after undergoing the 2024 development restriction zone management plan amendment process, the project is scheduled for completion by 2028.

Also, the city will create the province’s first dedicated leisure vehicle parking lots. Two candidate sites were selected this year, and detailed design work is underway. By the end of next year, 40 spaces in Uichang-gu and 50 spaces in Jinhae-gu will be established. Additional sites in the remaining three districts will be identified and developed in phases.

Efforts were also made to protect and support vulnerable road users such as children and the elderly. In 55 children protection zones, yellow crosswalks, ground traffic lights, and protective fences were installed for focused management. Safety facilities such as lane markings, anti-slip pavement, and road surface markings were expanded in elderly protection zones. Additionally, from October 2, Elderly Day, bus fares have been waived for seniors aged 75 and older, benefiting about 30,000 elderly citizens.

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, said, “This year was a meaningful one in which we attempted innovation and challenges to build a transportation network that will drive the future growth of our city.” He added, “We will continue to pursue administration that fills in every gap, including internal networks closely connected to citizens’ lives.”