Deciding Whether to Go or Not! Busan Launches Nation's First 'Smart Intersection'

Busan City Implements Real-Time Responsive Traffic Signals in Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun...Significantly Reduces Unnecessary Signal Waiting
Joint Pilot Operation with Busan Police Agency (Dec 8-10), Full Operation Starting Mid-December
Reduces Signal

Signal-responsive smart intersection system operated in Gijang-gun and Gangseo-gu, Busan.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] At a quiet city outskirts intersection, caught at a red light with no vehicles around. Should I just go or not?

The ‘Smart Intersection’ that eliminates this dilemma is being operated in the Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun areas of Busan, expected to significantly reduce unnecessary traffic signal waiting times.

The Busan City (Acting Mayor Byun Seong-wan) Traffic Information Service Center has established the nation’s first deep learning-based smart intersections at 24 locations in Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun.

Operated according to real-time smart responsive signals, drivers no longer need to ‘zone out’ waiting for the green light to turn on.

Busan City announced that before full-scale operation in mid-December, a three-day pilot operation will be conducted from December 8 to 10.

The Traffic Information Service Center has been actively promoting the ‘Smart Responsive Signal Construction Project’ since being selected as a ‘2020 Responsive Signal Construction Support Project City’ by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in September last year.

In collaboration with the Busan Police Agency, project target areas including Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun were selected, and consultations and system construction work for system configuration were carried out.

The smart intersections significantly reduce signal waiting times for vehicles traveling on main roads in Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun. Considering that the target sections have heavy traffic on main roads but light traffic and few pedestrians on side roads, green signals are given to side roads only for the necessary time, while additional green signals are allocated to main roads.

Noksan Industrial Road in Gangseo-gu is a seven-lane round-trip port logistics transport road, but pedestrian signals were inevitably given for 30 seconds due to crosswalks on both sides of the road, despite low pedestrian and side road straight traffic volumes.

Also, green signals for left-turning vehicles on side roads were given for about 8 to 17 seconds depending on the time of day, causing many vehicles on the main road to wait unnecessarily.

However, with the establishment of the responsive signal system through this project, the Busan Police Agency was able to adjust signals on side roads to secure citizens’ traffic safety while improving vehicle flow.

Pedestrian signals will also be provided at three crosswalks currently operating with flashing signals. Until now, the intersections in front of Baegunje 1 Park, Gilcheon Catholic Church, and Gijang Cultural Etiquette School in Gijang-gun operated with flashing signals, requiring pedestrians to watch for vehicle traffic themselves to cross.

But through this project, pedestrian buttons have been installed, significantly enhancing pedestrian safety.

Acting Mayor Byun Seong-wan of Busan said, “Busan’s traffic environment will be dramatically improved through the Busan-type smart responsive signals using smart intersections,” adding, “We plan to continue implementing a phased plan for ‘citizen-centered road traffic improvement’ and ‘pedestrian safety accident prevention’ through traffic operation management based on traffic information using Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).”

Video information for smart responsive signals will be transmitted to the Busan City Traffic Information Service Center and used as basic data for establishing various traffic policies.

Related agencies such as the Busan Police Agency and Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters will also use this to monitor traffic conditions in the area in real time from their situation rooms.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.