The morning commute to Hongjae Elementary School, attended by 707 students, has changed.
For 30 minutes each morning during peak arrival time, traffic along a 260-meter stretch in front of the school flows in a single direction, reducing the risk of children encountering oncoming vehicles. Rather than restricting traffic all day, the district devised what it calls a "30-minute solution" — one that weighs both child safety and the everyday travel needs of local residents.
Seodaemun-gu announced Sunday that it has launched a pilot program of time-based one-way traffic in the school zone near Hongjae Elementary School, timed to coincide with the start of the second semester.
Segeomjeong-ro 1-gil, the road in front of the school, is 6 to 7 meters wide. For years, concerns had been raised about student safety, as illegal parking near the main and rear gates combined with heavy vehicle traffic during arrival hours created hazardous conditions. The school and parents had long called for improvements to the commuting environment, but the district also had to weigh the inconvenience that traffic restrictions would impose on nearby residents.
Seodaemun-gu reviewed input from the school, residents and police, as well as on-site traffic conditions, before settling on the 30-minute one-way approach rather than an all-day restriction. The goal is to improve safety for students while minimizing disruption to residents' daily travel.
The one-way zone runs 260 meters along Segeomjeong-ro 1-gil, from in front of the Punglim 2nd apartment complex at No. 39 to in front of the Hongeun Byeoksan apartment complex at No. 90.
On weekdays from 8:30 to 9 a.m., vehicles may travel only in the direction from the Punglim 2nd complex toward the Hongeun Byeoksan complex. Two-way traffic resumes for the rest of the day, and the one-way restriction does not apply on weekends, public holidays or other school-off days.
The first day of operation went smoothly. During the 30-minute window on Wednesday morning, nine vehicles passed through the zone in the designated direction. Fewer than 10 vehicles attempted to enter from the opposite direction and were redirected by officers on the scene.
No friction was reported between police and local residents or drivers, and no congestion or delays were observed on surrounding roads. Having confirmed the measure is workable without causing traffic disruption, the district plans to monitor its actual impact on student safety and any inconvenience to residents throughout the pilot period.
The pilot runs from Wednesday through the start of winter break. The district and police will monitor traffic flow on surrounding roads and pedestrian safety for children, and will gather feedback from the school, residents and other stakeholders before deciding on the program's future.
"On the way to school, children must come before cars," said Seodaemun-gu District Mayor Park Woon-ki. "I am grateful to the residents who have cooperated with this new traffic arrangement for the sake of child safety. I hope that this small 30-minute change each day becomes a safer school route for 707 children and a positive, community-made improvement that residents can take pride in."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
