Yangcheon-gu Expands One-Way Traffic Designation in Jeongmok Elementary School Zone with High Accident Risk

Based on the Safe School Route Agreement Signed in May Last Year, Collaboration with Yangcheon Police Station to Designate One-Way School Routes Around Jeongmok Elementary School... Collected Local Residents' Opinions at Dong Community Center and Completed Traffic Sign and Road Marking Maintenance by District Office Before Project Implementation

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it has expanded the designation of Mokdongjungang-ro 3-gil, a school route around Jeongmok Elementary School, to one-way traffic for the safe commute of children and completed the maintenance work on traffic safety facilities such as traffic signs and road markings.

This one-way traffic designation for Jeongmok Elementary School is the result of a memorandum of understanding signed last May between Yangcheon-gu Office, Yangcheon Police Station, and Gangseo Yangcheon Office of Education to create a safe school route. Prior to the agreement, Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu conducted a joint inspection of school commute safety with related agencies, targeting areas urgently needing traffic infrastructure reinforcement.

The designated one-way street, ‘Mokdongjungang-ro 3-gil,’ is the main school route for Jeongmok Elementary School students and was identified as an area urgently needing traffic environment improvement during the joint inspection. The target area is a narrow residential back road less than 6 meters wide with steep slopes and limited pedestrian space. Frequent vehicle traffic during peak school commute times has continuously raised concerns about the risk of traffic accidents involving students.

Accordingly, the district immediately initiated the one-way designation process after the joint inspection. Through cooperation with the agreement partner Yangcheon Police Station, the one-way section, which previously extended only to the front gate, was dramatically expanded past the back gate to the intersection with Mokdongjungang-ro 5-gil after a year of gathering local residents’ opinions (at the community service center), designation review (police station), and traffic safety facility maintenance work (district office).

A district official stated, “This one-way designation is expected to secure pedestrian space for students and reduce vehicle traffic volume, significantly contributing to the prevention of traffic accidents on school commute routes.”

In addition, the district is accelerating efforts to create ‘Safe School Commute Routes’ for children. Last year, 41 old security light poles around seven schools in the area were repaired, and this year, 39 security light poles around ten schools will be sequentially maintained to improve nighttime walking conditions. Furthermore, the district plans to maintain traffic safety facilities by installing speed enforcement cameras, ground-level pedestrian signals, audible pedestrian signal devices, and replacing LED luminous safety signs in school zones. Additionally, traffic safety instructors have been assigned to 14 elementary schools in the district to accompany lower-grade students who are vulnerable to traffic safety during their commute.

Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, “I deeply thank the agreement institutions for their active cooperation to ensure the safety of our children’s school commute and the residents who have endured some inconvenience and cooperated.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to create safe school commute routes through ongoing traffic environment improvements.”