By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City will celebrate its fourth car-free day on Sept. 22 from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. by blocking the traffic of Jongno Street and Teheran Street.
Private cars will be banned in Jongno on a 2.8 kilometer stretch from Sejongro Street to Dongdaemun Gate, and on a 2.4 kilometer stretch of Teheran Street in Gangnam, from Samseong Station to Yeoksam Station. Only buses will be allowed, and a special bicycle path will be installed.
Seoul first began its annual car-free days in 2006 to promote a cleaner city with less traffic congestion. The event has taken place exclusively in Jongno in previous years, but this year the city added the major street in the southern area as well.
To encourage the event and reduce inconveniences to citizens, public transportation, including all buses and the subway, will be free until 9 a.m.
The city will also give performances related to climate change on Jongno Street, and people can try out environmentally-friendly transportation methods such as biking and inline skating on Teheran Street.
Mountaineer Eom Hong-gil and inline skater Kuck Chae-yi will help promote the car-free day.
Last year, 22 percent of Seoulites left their cars at home on car-free day and air pollution decreased by 20 percent for the day.