10 Sites in Northeastern and Southwestern Seoul Selected for Phase 2
Design Work to Begin Within the Year... Accelerating Construction
Up to 100 Final Sites... Ongoing Identification of New Locations
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will install monorails in highland areas such as Yeongcheon-dong in Seodaemun-gu and Gocheok-dong in Guro-gu. The city is expanding project sites for the installation of mobility facilities for people with limited mobility, including senior citizens.
On the 12th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it had selected 10 additional sites for the "Highland Mobility Convenience Facilities Installation" project after reviewing proposals from district offices and conducting on-site inspections and demand analyses.
After the 'Installation of Mobility Convenience Facilities in High-Elevation Areas' project in the Yeongcheon-dong area of Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Seoul Metropolitan Government
This project involves the Seoul Metropolitan Government installing mobility convenience facilities tailored to local characteristics to improve pedestrian convenience in steep highland areas. It was promoted in light of the fact that 40% of Seoul’s terrain consists of hilly areas 40 meters or more above sea level, and that people with limited mobility, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities, account for 1 out of every 4 Seoul residents. As part of the first-phase pilot project last year, elevators or monorails were installed at five locations, including Junggok-dong in Gwangjin-gu and Hwagok-dong in Gangseo-gu.
The additional project sites were selected by a screening committee of experts from various fields, which reviewed 55 candidate locations, focusing on steep stairways with a gradient of 30% or more. The selected sites are Yeongcheon-dong in Seodaemun-gu, as well as Gocheok-dong in Guro-gu, Sadang-dong in Dongjak-gu, Siheung-dong in Geumcheon-gu, Singongdeok-dong in Mapo-gu, Oksu-dong in Seongdong-gu, Cheongam-dong in Yongsan-gu, Muak-dong in Jongno-gu, Hawolgok-dong in Seongbuk-gu, and Bongcheon-dong in Gwanak-gu.
To minimize potential conflicts during project implementation, the Seoul Metropolitan Government also checked the opinions of local residents. On this morning, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited the area around the Dongnimmun Samho Apartment complex in Yeongcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, to inspect the site and requested detailed designs and swift installation that reflect residents’ needs.
In the case of the Yeongcheon-dong site, the city plans to use the monorail to connect not only the highland residential area with the subway station, but also with one of the city’s key green spaces, thereby improving both daily mobility and leisure/tourism routes. The Ansan Dulle-gil trail here is a representative leisure space in Seodaemun-gu, frequently visited by senior citizens and family groups, and the introduction of the monorail is expected to increase tourism and visitor demand. In addition, the city plans to install vertical, inclined, and combined (vertical + inclined) elevators tailored to local characteristics at the site to improve access to elementary schools, subway stations, and bus stops.
The total budget for the second phase of the project is 40 billion won. The city plans to complete administrative procedures such as establishing the basic plan and conducting investment reviews within this year, and then begin the design phase. The five first-phase sites selected last year will begin construction sequentially from April, as soon as design work is completed. The city plans to continue identifying project sites that reflect citizen demand and local conditions and ultimately expand the program to 100 locations.
Mayor Oh emphasized, "The selection of 10 locations for this second phase is meaningful in that it takes the voices of citizens experiencing inconvenience as the starting point for policy," adding, "We will continue to expand the project sites based on citizens’ sense of benefit and safety so that no one loses everyday opportunities because of stairs or steep slopes, and thereby build 'a city where mobility is convenient and opportunities open up, Seoul.'"
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