Citizens enjoy riding bikes on the bike path along the Han River in Seoul.
/ Korea Times File |
Seoul to Expand Bike-Only Lanes
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Jeong Hyo-jeen, a 30-year-old office worker in Seoul, is one of the city's many bike enthusiasts. She has commuted to work by bicycle almost every day for the last four years.
``It's fun, of course, and you can avoid being stuck in crowds in buses or subway trains and at the same time it's good exercise,'' she said.
However, using a bicycle as the primary means of getting to work is challenging as the city lacks infrastructure for bike riders.
``In the absence of bike-only lanes, we've no other options but to use sidewalks or roads. It's always risky,'' she said.
To meet growing demands for a safer environment for riders, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is gearing to make the city more cycle friendly. It plans to construct bicycle-only lanes totaling 207 kilometers by 2012.
``A city cannot effectively cope with global warming issues and traffic congestion if people commute only by car,'' Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said. ``We will develop Seoul into a city where citizens can commute by bicycle.''
The basic idea of the project is a ``road diet'' program to reduce the number of lanes for vehicles on major roads and create new cycle paths.
The program will require the construction of 17 main cycle paths totaling 200 kilometers for citizens to easily and safely travel by bicycle in the city.
According to the city government, only 1.6 percent of commuters use bicycles in Seoul, partly due to a lack of dedicated paths. But the city government vowed to increase the figure to 4.4 percent by 2012, 7.6 percent by 2016, and 10 percent by 2020.
The city will also construct other facilities such as bicycle racks at 16 subway stations, complete with shower rooms and lockers for cyclists to use before they travel on the subway.
On top of expanding infrastructure, experts called on the government to hold campaigns and educational sessions to form a culture of bicycle riding so that citizens can recognize bicycles not only as a vehicle for transportation or leisure but part of a lifestyle.
``A better environment may not be enough. To help more people enjoy riding bikes, we also need to create a `culture for bicycles' and help people enjoy it in a safer and easier way,'' said Lee Jun-woo, director of the Korean Federation for Bicycles Movement.
Lee said it is important to show that bike riding, albeit slow, can be a really enjoyable part of life.
``Riding a bike can also change our views on life. Slowing down will allow us to enjoy many beautiful things that we can miss in this fast-paced life,'' he said.
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