Seoul seeks 'slow lanes' for bikers

By Kim Rahn

Seoul City is to set a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour for some car lanes to provide greater safety for cyclists.

The municipality announced the plan Thursday. The speed limit for other lanes in downtown areas will remain at 60 kilometers per hour.

The move is part of Mayor Park Won-soon’s aim of establishing a more pedestrian-oriented and bicycle-friendly traffic environment.

To prevent buses and bikes from colliding, the lanes will be designated on roads where central bus-only lanes are operated.

Officials said they are discussing the issue with police. However, they were unable to state precisely when and where the system is to be adopted.

Besides that plan, the city will also designate Myeong-dong and districts around Guro Digital Complex and Dongdaemun Design Plaza as pedestrian areas, banning all vehicles starting next year.

In Myeong-dong, a popular tourist attraction in downtown Seoul, cars are already banned from accessing several alleys, but the restriction will be expanded to the whole block between Euljiro Station and Myeong-dong Station. The city will make an agreement with merchants there by the end of this year on when and how to apply the rule and whether to allow couriers on motorcycles or not.

For Sejong Street and Itaewon Street, cars will be banned on weekends during the day or at designated times. Sejong Street will run a pilot car-free day on Sept. 23.

Traffic lanes will be reduced while pedestrian roads will be expanded in Sinchon and Daehangno, with Sinchon Street between Sinchon Station and Yonsei University to become a public transportation-only road in 2014.

The city will also set up crosswalks at all intersections downtown by 2014.