Seoul-Incheon-Gyeonggi Province Linked 'Green Way' Initiative Underway

Gyeonggi Province is advancing the construction of a 'Green Way'—a dedicated pathway for pedestrians, bicycles, and inline skates that will link all cities and counties within Gyeonggi Province and Incheon centered around Seoul.

On the 6th, the province announced that it has prepared a basic plan for the construction of a Green Way with a total length of 1,369 km, connecting all cities and counties in the province as well as major tourist destinations, parks, and terminals, with a total project budget of 857.4 billion won through 2020.

The Green Way will be implemented in three stages: construction of a 'radial network' linked with Seoul and Incheon's bicycle path plans, development of an 'inner ring-type network' accommodating high population density and strong demand for green transportation and 'regional connection routes' for inter-regional linkage, and construction of an 'outer ring-type network' connecting the province's periphery.

To this end, the province has prioritized four specialized pilot sections for immediate selection and construction to begin next year: ▲a waterfront-type section (8.6 km) connecting Seoul's Amsa-dong to Paldang Bridge in Hanam City, linking with the Han River bicycle path network ▲a regional connection-type section (14.5 km) linking the Korea International Exhibition Center in Goyang and the World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong ▲a radial-type section (8.4 km) connecting Yongin's new residential development areas including Jukjeon, Guseong, Gugal, and Bora with Seongnam's Tancheon bicycle path network ▲a tourist destination connection-type section (2.6 km) linking Hwaseong in Suwon with Gwanggyo Mountain.

The province plans to leverage the Green Way as a tourism resource by hosting bicycle races, inline skating competitions, and marathon events along the routes, and coordinating with local festivals and events.

To this end, the province will hold a public hearing on the 'Gyeonggi Province Green Way Basic Plan' on the 9th at the Gyeonggi Middle Market Business Support Center, attended by transportation and environmental experts and residents.

A provincial official stated, "The Green Way will be equipped with rest areas, lockers, shower facilities, bicycle repair shops and rental facilities, and storage facilities at various points to eliminate user inconveniences," and projected that "more than 6.6 million people annually are expected to use it, including leisure users as well as commuters." <Yonhapnews>