Gangdong-gu Smart Crosswalk Ensures Pedestrian Safety

Gangdong-gu Invests Total of 1.2 Billion KRW in 2023 to Expand Smart Traffic Safety Facilities Including Ground-Level Pedestrian Signals and Voice Guidance Devices... Focus on Securing Safety on Children's School Routes at Myeongwon Elementary, Gangsol Elementary, and Others

Kangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Soo-hee) announced on the 5th that it has completed the installation of smart crosswalks (ground-type pedestrian signals and voice guidance auxiliary devices) to ensure pedestrian safety.

Smart crosswalks are traffic safety facility auxiliaries that use information and communication technology to support traffic signals and provide various signal information to pedestrians, helping them walk safely. Among them, the ground-type pedestrian signal is a device that lights up pedestrian signals on the ground at the crosswalk waiting line to provide additional signal information to pedestrians, and the voice guidance auxiliary device warns pedestrians with voice alerts if they enter the roadway during a red signal and informs them by voice that they can cross during a green signal.

Last year, the district invested 1.2 billion KRW to install ground-type pedestrian signals at 50 crosswalks and voice guidance auxiliary devices at 14 crosswalks in areas with high traffic volume of vulnerable road users and pedestrians, such as protection zones, intersections, and children's school routes.

In particular, to create safe children's school routes, the district focused on installing smart crosswalks in children's protection zones such as kindergarten and elementary school routes. Ground-type pedestrian signals were additionally installed at 24 crosswalks, including some sections in front of Myeongwon Elementary School and the diagonal crosswalk near Gangsol Elementary School, and voice guidance auxiliary devices were installed at 13 crosswalks, including the crosswalk in front of Cheonho Elementary School.

Starting with Myeongil Elementary School in 2020, the district has installed ground-type pedestrian signals at 141 crosswalks and voice guidance auxiliary devices at 34 crosswalks to date.

Jung Young-hwan, Head of the Traffic Administration Division, said, “Smart crosswalks are audiovisual pedestrian aids that prevent accidents caused by jaywalking and roadway intrusion by pedestrians,” adding, “We will do our best to expand traffic safety facilities such as ground-type pedestrian signals and voice guidance auxiliary devices to make the walking environment in the area safer.”