Every Saturday from March 29, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Partial vehicle and motorcycle access allowed for residents and full-time workers
Operation expanded to Seongsuil-ro 40 to Yeonmujang-gil 56-1, Seongsui-ro 7-gil 46 to Seongsui-ro 7-gil 36, and Yeonmujang-gil
Minimizing inconvenience with two-person teams of exemplary drivers and traffic guides
Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced that it will officially operate the ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone,’ which restricts vehicle traffic on certain sections of Yeonmujang-gil every Saturday.
The Yeonmujang-gil area is known as a region with a high concentration of pedestrians on weekends and holidays, mixed with vehicle traffic, raising concerns about accidents. In response, the district introduced the ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone’ last year and began temporary operation.
The ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone’ is a specialized pedestrian safety project unique to Seongdong-gu that minimizes inconvenience by allowing limited access for residents’ and full-time workers’ vehicles and motorcycles. It prioritizes pedestrian safety by analyzing the sections and times with the highest pedestrian volume and temporarily restricting vehicle traffic in those areas.
This approach has the advantage of minimizing inconvenience to residents and full-time workers that could occur if the area were operated as a ‘car-free street.’
First, a pilot operation was conducted on April 27 last year targeting the section from Yeonmujang-gil 21 to Yeonmujang-gil 56-1, and about 82% of local residents and full-time workers expressed support for the operation of the ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone.’
Based on this, from August 31 to November 30, the ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone’ was operated a total of 12 times on the sections from Yeonmujang 5-gil 4 to Yeonmujang-gil 56-1 and Yeonmujang 5-gil 7. The target sections actively reflected suggestions from the pilot operation.
Subsequently, a survey conducted among nearby residents, full-time workers, and visitors showed a satisfaction rate of 90.8%, confirming the positive effects of the project once again. The high satisfaction was mainly attributed to the deployment of exemplary drivers and traffic guides in pairs at 12 points requiring vehicle control, who directed external vehicle detours and restrictions as well as pedestrian traffic, minimizing confusion in the area.
This year, based on last year’s operational experience, the operation sections will be expanded to include Seongsuil-ro 40 to Yeonmujang-gil 56-1, Seongsui-ro 7-gil 46 to Seongsui-ro 7-gil 36, and the Yeonmujang-gil area (the entrance and exit road of Kumho Town 2nd Apartment). The operation period is every Saturday from March 29 to November 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for four hours. However, some vehicle traffic by residents, full-time workers, motorcycles, and bicycles will be allowed to minimize inconvenience to local residents and workers. The operation will be temporarily suspended during the ‘Creative X Seongsu (September 20)’ event held throughout Seongsu-dong, the Chuseok holiday (October 14), the August heatwave, adverse weather conditions, and when special weather warnings are issued.
In addition, the district plans to further enhance the effectiveness of the ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone’ by continuously collecting residents’ opinions and strengthening on-site monitoring.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “As we operate the expanded ‘Seongdong-style Pedestrian Safety Zone’ this year, we expect a pedestrian-centered safe traffic environment to be created,” and added, “We will continue to make proactive efforts to build Seongdong as a traffic safety city where everyone can feel safe anywhere.”
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