Safe Routes to School: Busan Launches Consultative Body for Student Safety

The city of Busan (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) discussed cooperation measures with the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, and other organizations to create a “15-Minute City Safe Route to School,” enabling students to commute to and from school with peace of mind.

On October 24, the city held its first director-level meeting at City Hall, presided over by Sung Heeyeop, Deputy Mayor for Future Innovation. Relevant departments, the Traffic Division of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, the Safety Management Division of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, and other related organizations attended to discuss the direction for project implementation.

During the meeting, consensus was reached on the importance of separating pedestrian and vehicle routes, moving away from the previous approach focused on time-based vehicle restrictions. Participants agreed that public and private sectors should work together to discuss major project directions and form a consultative body to address issues collaboratively.

Busan plans to establish the “15-Minute City Safe Route to School Consultative Body,” which will include the police agency, the office of education, parents, civic groups, and transportation and education experts, to develop concrete implementation plans. The consultative body will investigate the current status of school routes, discuss improvement measures, and pursue three types of projects inspired by the “car-free street” initiative in Paris, France.

The city will categorize project types into three: ▲ car-free streets, ▲ pedestrian-only sidewalks, and ▲ pedestrian-safety roads. Target areas will be selected through a district and county competition. Priority will be given to areas with a high risk of accidents, such as steep slopes or back roads, or areas requested by students and parents.

When establishing “car-free streets” or “pedestrian-only sidewalks,” changes to the traffic system, such as designating one-way streets or implementing road diets, will be necessary. The city plans to seek understanding and cooperation from nearby residents and businesses. The consultative body will encourage citizen participation and consensus based on student-centered design principles.

The consultative body will accelerate the creation of safe school routes by holding regular meetings (twice a year) for joint inspections, evaluations, and discussions on improvements, as well as ad-hoc working-level consultations as needed.

Sung Heeyeop, Deputy Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan, emphasized, “Establishing safe routes to school is a top priority for future generations. Through a collaborative system involving the police agency, the office of education, and citizens, we will create a 15-minute city where students can walk safely and with confidence.”

On October 24th, the first director-level meeting was held at Busan City Hall, presided over by Sung Hee-yeop, Deputy Mayor for Future Innovation.

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