Public Transportation to Increase Between Geobukseom, Baegot, and Ansan Starting Next Month

Start of Ansan Bus Route 525 Service
Additional Buses Added to Route 99-2

Siheung City in Gyeonggi Province announced on January 22 that the Ansan Bus Route 525, connecting Turtle Island (Geobukseom), Baegot New Town, Jeongwang-dong, Bandae Island in Ansan, and Wonsi Station on the Seohae Line, will begin operation starting February 1.

Public transportation route adjustment plan implemented by Siheung City starting February 1. Provided by Siheung City

This route is based on the existing Ansan City Route 500, with a changed route number and an extension of the service area to Baegot Life Park. Departing from Baegot Life Park, the bus will serve Baegot Central Shopping District, Oido Station, Turtle Island, Bandae Island in Ansan, Wonsi Station, and Gojan-dong, ultimately operating up to Gojan Station. As a result, accessibility between Turtle Island, Baegot, major areas of Ansan, and the Seohae Line is expected to improve.

This route adjustment was made through a year-long consultation involving Siheung City, Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province, and the bus operator. The focus was on establishing an integrated transportation system connecting Turtle Island, Baegot, Bandae Island in Ansan, and Wonsi Station, while reducing overlap and inefficiency among intercity routes.

In particular, the city included the section between Turtle Island and Oido Station, previously served by Siheung City’s Route 33-1, in this new route. This measure aims to prevent any disruption in public transportation services around Turtle Island following the discontinuation of Route 33-1.

The interval between buses will also be shortened to 20-40 minutes, compared to the previous 40-80 minutes for Route 33-1, which is expected to enhance convenience for local residents using public transportation.

To further improve accessibility in the Baegot and Jeongwang-dong areas, the city will also increase the number of buses and extend the service area of City Bus Route 99-2 starting February 1. One additional vehicle will be deployed on this route, and the service area will be extended to Korea Polytechnic University and the Jeongwang-dong bus garage.

To minimize confusion from these route adjustments, the city will conduct advance publicity and closely monitor actual usage conditions and bus operations.

Park Youngdeok, Director of the Safety and Transportation Bureau of Siheung City, stated, "We plan to continuously monitor actual usage conditions and bus operations even after the start of service."

Meanwhile, the city is currently undertaking the "5th Siheung City Local Public Transportation Plan," aimed at improving the public transportation network. This plan will outline a five-year public transportation reform strategy from next year through 2031. Through this planning process, the city intends to gradually develop mid- to long-term route restructuring measures by comprehensively analyzing changes in the transportation environment following the opening of new railways such as the Shinansan Line and the Wolgot-Pangyo Line, as well as transportation demand in major development areas such as Hajung District, Geomo District, and Gwangmyeong-Siheung District, alongside existing residential areas.