Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon tries a public bicycle sharing system Sunday in Montreal.
/ Courtesy of Seoul City |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City plans to introduce a bicycle rental system so that conSeoulites and visitors can ride around on rented two wheelers, city officials said Thursday.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon broached the idea during his recent trip to Japan, Canada and Eastern European countries that ended today.
One of his stops was in Montreal, where bicycle rentals are in wide use.The city's system, which started in May, has 3,000 bicycles for rent at 300 stations located around the downtown area.
"When we build enough bike road networks in 2011, we can test the system for about six months in downtown and then operate the system citywide," he was quoted by city officials as saying.
Seoul City announced plans to build bicycle paths throughout the city in May.
According to the scheme, the local government will use a lane of existing roads to make 24-kilometer-long bike roads connecting the Han River, Mt. Namsan and the city center in 2010 and outer circular roads in 2014. The total length will reach 88 kilometers.
A pilot program will operate in Yeouido first and Sangam Digital Media City. Both areas will be connected to nearby Han River parks. The city will seeks to entrust the system to a private company.
The Seoul Mayor showed keen interest in the "Underground City of Montreal."
The Underground City is a 32-kilometer-long underground tunnel under downtown Montreal, connecting shopping malls, apartments, hotels, banks, office buildings, museums and subway stations.
"The environment is different as Montreal is a cold city and the Underground City was built to help people avoid the severe weather," Oh said. "But we can build an underground city in the crowded downtown."
He suggested lowering height limits and increasing the underground floor space when designing a building. "Though a little late, we might apply the idea to the Seun redevelopment area where the plans are going through deliberation now."
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
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