From Yonsei University Samgeori in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, to Sinchon Station on subway line 2, Yonsei-ro will reopen to general vehicles starting Jan. 1 next year. This marks the first time in 11 years since it was designated as a public transportation-only zone. However, the changed sidewalk and roadway structure will remain. Concerns have been raised that traffic accidents might increase in the future.
According to Seoul city on the 30th, Yonsei-ro will be lifted from its public transportation-only zone status starting Jan. 1, two days later. General vehicle traffic, including taxis and passenger cars, which had been prohibited, will be fully allowed.
Yonsei-ro was designated as Seoul's first public transportation-only zone in Jan. 2014. Since then, the width of the sidewalks expanded from 3-4 meters to 7-8 meters, and the number of lanes reduced from four to two. To make it easier for pedestrians to cross, the height difference between the sidewalk and the roadway was eliminated, and many street vendors on the sidewalk were removed.
The decision to allow general vehicle traffic on Yonsei-ro, excluding city and village buses, was made to revitalize the commercial area. Seodaemun-gu argued that passenger cars should travel this route to rejuvenate the declining commercial district after the inauguration of Mayor Lee Seong-heon. Seoul city temporarily allowed vehicle traffic on Yonsei-ro from Jan. 20 to Sept. 30 last year and analyzed the Sinchon commercial area sales. As a result, the sales for 65 types of businesses across over 700 stores on Yonsei-ro increased by 6.2% when traffic was permitted compared to when it was not.
The issue is whether pedestrian safety can be ensured if vehicle traffic increases. According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS), during the period from Jan. 20 to Sept. 30 last year, when vehicle traffic was temporarily resumed, there were a total of six “vehicle vs. pedestrian” traffic accidents in this section. During the same period in 2022, when only city and village buses were allowed to pass, there was just one “vehicle vs. pedestrian” traffic accident caused by a personal mobility device (PM, electric scooter).
Traffic accident prevention facilities that were removed when it was designated as a public transportation-only zone have not been restored. One such facility is the curb, which serves to protect pedestrians from vehicles on the sidewalk. The height of a curb is typically around 20 cm. At the site of a wrong-way driving accident near Seoul City Hall Station in July, the height of the curb was only 3 cm.
Seoul city plans to install bench-like 'sitting stones' and tall bollards, along with stone planters, to prevent accidents. There are no plans to raise the height of the curb and sidewalk above the roadway. A Seoul city official noted, “If we introduce height differences between sidewalks and roadways, pedestrians may become more endangered when festivals are held here and it's run as a 'car-free street.'”
Transportation experts say a curb of about 20 cm is necessary to prevent traffic accidents. Kim Jin-yu, a professor of urban transportation at Kyonggi University, stated that “if vehicles travel in the current condition, it poses a danger to pedestrians,” adding, “stone planters or bollards may help to some extent in accident prevention, but they aren't perfect and could also impede pedestrian traffic.”
University students who frequently visit the Sinchon area expressed concerns. Kim Mo, a 20-year-old student from Ewha Womans University, said, “Will it be effective to place bollards or stone planters? I don't feel safe at all.” Lee Mo, a 23-year-old student from Sogang University, noted, “In Sinchon, freshmen often roam around after drinking at night, and with no safety facilities on the narrow streets, there is a high chance of accidents.”