Seocho-gu 'Runway-Style Crosswalk' Awarded Minister of the Interior and Safety Commendation for Excellence in Local Administration

Installation of Embedded LED Guide Lights at Crosswalks: Development of Creative Traffic Safety Facilities to Enhance Crosswalk Visibility and Reduce Nighttime Pedestrian Traffic Accidents to 1% Recurrence Rate... Installed in 37 Local Governments Nationwide Including Seoul Districts, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Sejong, and Jeju

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jo Eun-hee) is seeing the nationwide spread and success of the ‘Runway-type Crosswalk,’ an advanced traffic safety facility created for the first time in Korea to establish a safe walking environment, expanding from Seoul to Jeju.

This time, it received the Minister’s Commendation at the ‘10th Local Administration Master’ awards hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The ‘Runway-type Crosswalk’ is an advanced traffic safety facility that installs embedded LED guide lights at regular intervals along both sides of the crosswalk to alert pedestrians of the crossing.

It is useful not only at night but also when visibility is reduced due to weather changes such as fine dust, fog, or rain. Using a GPS system, it receives data from weather satellites and automatically controls lighting times according to seasonal sunrise and sunset times, and it operates automatically when illumination falls below a certain level through a light sensor.

Since April 2018, Seocho-gu has been installing ‘Runway-type Crosswalks’ at non-signalized crosswalks in high-risk nighttime pedestrian areas and has recently completed installations at 177 such locations. In 2021, it plans to install ‘Runway-type Crosswalks’ at 64 high-risk pedestrian traffic accident sites.

The ‘Runway-type Crosswalk’ has contributed significantly to reducing pedestrian traffic accidents. The recurrence rate of pedestrian traffic accidents at ‘Runway-type Crosswalks’ installed in Seocho-gu has been below 1%.

The district collaborated with the National Police Agency to even revise national regulations (Traffic Road Surface Marking Installation and Management Manual, revised March 26, 2020). Local governments nationwide are eagerly adopting the ‘Runway-type Crosswalk.’ Currently, 37 local governments across the country, including 10 autonomous districts in Seoul as well as Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Sejong, and Jeju, have introduced the ‘Runway-type Crosswalk.’

As the ‘Runway-type Crosswalk’ established itself as a new traffic safety facility protecting citizens’ lives, it has received numerous awards. Following gold medals at the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Government Active Administration Best Practice Competition’ and the ‘Government Innovation 1st Street Excellent Innovation Case’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, it recently received the Minister’s Commendation at the ‘10th Local Administration Master’ awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

It has also attracted attention overseas, winning a silver award at the ‘Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards,’ which evaluates innovative achievements in business across 29 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The ‘Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards’ is internationally recognized for its prestige.

Jo Eun-hee, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “The ‘Runway-type Crosswalk,’ a result of proactive administration, has established itself as a traffic safety facility that protects citizens’ lives. We will continue to promote policies that protect residents’ safety and improve their lives through Seocho’s community-centered administration, which sets the standard for Korea.”

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