In response to chronic traffic congestion around Suwon Station, arguments were raised that bus routes should be dispersed beyond the capacity of bus stops, and taxi pickup areas should operate as drop-off only zones.
On the 12th, Ajou University hosted a Suwon Transportation Forum policy discussion organized by the Suwon Development Research Center to improve traffic congestion around Suwon Station.
At the forum, Jo Eung-rae, head of the Transportation Policy Research Division at the Gyeonggi Development Research Institute, emphasized: "The bus stop at the entrance of the Theme Street and Car-Free Street in front of Suwon Station is concentrating 69 bus routes. To resolve traffic congestion, we must separate 18 bus routes in the Osan direction and 51 bus routes in the Ansan direction."
At this bus stop, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., a total of 184 buses stop, with approximately 2,700 passengers boarding and 1,866 passengers alighting. City buses and express buses are stopping at 2-3 times the bus stop's capacity.
Director Jo stated, "Due to insufficient bus stop capacity, buses are stopping in the middle of the road for passenger boarding and alighting, and with buses stopping in lanes 4, 5, and 6 of the 6-lane road, this is having a major impact on traffic congestion." He argued that bus routes should be separated as a short-term measure.
The discussants noted that at the taxi pickup area, waiting taxis illegally occupy the road, causing entanglement with vehicles entering Suwon Station, with passengers being dropped off in the middle of the road, creating traffic congestion and accident risks.
They argued, "If guidance signs for the drop-off section are placed in front of the taxi pickup area and the facility is operated as a drop-off only zone, the illegal taxi waiting lines would be resolved and intersection traffic flow would improve."
The discussants stated, "Installing parking violation enforcement cameras to prohibit illegal taxi waiting lines could also be a solution to ease traffic congestion at Suwon Station," and "Installing bus shelters at bus stops and canopies on sidewalks are also possible methods."
Additionally, installation of a multi-level bus-only transfer center in Suwon Station Plaza, expansion of Maesan Road to 7 lanes, and installation of a bus-only lane in the center of Maesan Road were presented as long-term measures to resolve traffic congestion in front of Suwon Station.
Meanwhile, traffic volume at Suwon Station intersection during peak hours (8 a.m. to 9 a.m.), the busiest time of day, reaches 15,905 vehicles. Even during off-peak hours, approximately 15,000 to 12,000 vehicles pass through Suwon Station intersection.
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