District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon Acts Immediately on Resident Complaints Spotted During Field Patrol — Low-Rise Steps, Safety Railings and Heated Pavement Installed to Prevent Falls
"The road is steep and the elevation changes are severe, making it very difficult for residents to get through. Please find a way quickly — including installing steps — so people can walk safely."
That was the order issued by Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon after he personally observed the serious pedestrian hazards and fall risks residents faced during a field patrol on March 11. The district immediately acted on the directive to secure resident safety.
Gangseo-gu said it has completed a small-scale stairway installation and road heating project on a steep slope near Gyonam School (38 Kkachisan-ro 22-gil) in Hwagok 6-dong, designed to allow safe passage for pedestrians with limited mobility.
The stretch has a gradient of 25 percent — rising 1 meter for every 4 meters traveled. Even under normal conditions the road was difficult to navigate, and during rain or winter ice it posed a serious fall risk for nearby residents and Gyonam School students.
The district made resident safety its top priority and moved immediately to address the problem. By late May, it had finished installing 33 steps — 0.7 to 0.9 meters wide, 14.0 meters long and 3.18 meters high — by making efficient use of space along one side of the existing slope.
To reduce fatigue for elderly residents, children and other vulnerable pedestrians, the steps were designed lower than standard — 10 centimeters on straight sections and 9.5 centimeters on curved sections — with safety handrails on both sides.
A road heating system was also installed alongside the stairway to keep the surface passable during sudden snowfall and cold snaps. The system melts snow on the road surface immediately, proactively eliminating the risk of ice in winter.
Last year, the district laid a wooden deck path 1.5 meters wide and 100 meters long to replace a muddy dirt stretch near Seojin School.
The district has also installed a ramp on the access road to the Anyang Stream in front of Muhak Apartment in Yeomchang-dong, significantly improving access for wheelchair and stroller users, as part of its ongoing effort to improve pedestrian infrastructure for those with limited mobility.
"With the new steps and heated road now in place, residents and Gyonam School students can walk without fear of slipping," Jin said. "We will continue to pay close attention to everyday pedestrian inconveniences, large and small, and do our utmost to build safer lifestyle infrastructure."
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