[News Terms] Transit-Only Zone

The 'Sinchon Yonsei-ro Public Transportation-Only Zone' in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, selected as the Presidential Award-winning work at this year's National Land and Urban Design Competition.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] A transit mall is a transportation facility designed exclusively for public transportation and pedestrians. Pedestrians, city buses and village buses, ambulances, two-wheelers and bicycles, and taxis (allowed during nighttime hours) are permitted to pass through.

Although the operating speed is limited to 30 km/h, the average downtown transit speed of city buses on regular roads is only 15-20 km/h, so the travel speed of city buses has actually doubled. Private cars and vans that are not allowed to enter the transit mall are fined 50,000 KRW and 60,000 KRW respectively if they pass through.

Transit malls are implemented in over 50 cities across 12 countries, including Queen Street in Oxford, UK; Gothenburg in Sweden; and 16th Street in Denver, Colorado, USA. In South Korea, they are operated on Daegu Jungang-ro (Daegu Station to Banwoldang), Seoul Yonsei-ro (temporarily suspended from the 20th), and Busan Dongcheon-ro (partial implementation). Additionally, Seoul Wirye New Town and Gyeonggi Suwon City's Maesan-ro and Jeongjo-ro are pursuing designation as transit malls.

The operation of transit malls has shown positive effects such as revitalizing downtown commercial districts, securing pleasant pedestrian spaces, and facilitating smooth public transportation operations.

In the case of Seoul Yonsei-ro, after six months of operating the transit mall, traffic accidents decreased by 34% compared to the previous year, citizen satisfaction increased with more bus users, and the number of visitors and sales at stores in the Sinchon area also rose. Similarly, Daegu Jungang-ro saw a 33.8% increase in city bus users five years after implementation, and the floating population during weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. increased by 17.7%.

Pollution and noise also decreased. During the same period, nitrogen dioxide dropped by 54%, fine dust by 36%, carbon monoxide by 33%, sulfur dioxide by 25%, and noise levels fell from 68 dB to 64 dB.

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