Suwon's School Safety Zones and Routes Undergo Major Transformation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special Metropolitan City announced on the 12th that it has significantly improved traffic safety infrastructure in school safety zones and school routes by investing 24 billion won over the past two years since 2023, creating 'safe commuting routes' that all can support.

The city's major improvement of traffic safety infrastructure for safe school commutes was prompted by a tragic accident that occurred on May 10, 2023, when a child crossing a crosswalk in a school safety zone in front of an elementary school in Homaegsil-dong, Suwon, was struck by a right-turning bus and died.

Following the accident, the city established comprehensive measures to prevent recurrence and launched major improvement work to create safer school commutes.

The city has expanded smart safety infrastructure by installing Gowooneun crosswalks (combining speed reduction bumps and crosswalks), unmanned enforcement cameras, LED floor signal lights, and yellow traffic lights, while establishing a prevention-focused traffic safety system. The city has created an environment where vehicle speeds naturally decrease and drivers can clearly recognize the presence of pedestrians.

Operating Traffic Safety Facilities Regular Inspection Team

Traffic safety measures have been strengthened. In March, the city established a 'traffic safety facilities regular inspection team' to build a system for systematic maintenance and management of traffic safety facilities. The inspection team, composed of public officials from traffic-related departments including the Traffic Policy Division, police, maintenance company workers, and representatives from partner organizations, regularly inspects school routes and protection zones, checks facility conditions, and takes immediate corrective measures when problems are found.

While regularly inspecting 11 types of facilities including 241 traffic vulnerable protection zones, traffic safety facilities, and bicycle paths, the city immediately supplements and maintains facilities that threaten citizen safety. The team maintains a 24-hour emergency response system and promptly carries out emergency safety measures to prevent secondary accidents when traffic accidents occur.

After the start of the school year in March, Suwon conducted intensive inspections of more than 20 school routes in the vicinity of elementary schools, kindergartens, and child care facilities in cooperation with police, the education support office, and the Korea Road Traffic Authority. Hazards identified at the sites were immediately remedied and reinforced, and traffic volume and pedestrian flow patterns during school commute hours were analyzed.

Advancing School Route Safety Comprehensive Plan '4·5·6 Initiative'

The city is advancing the '4·5·6 Initiative,' a comprehensive school route safety plan consisting of 4 strategies, 5 core tasks, and 6 linked tasks.

Focusing on 5 core tasks including △expansion of pedestrian safety instructors △expansion and maintenance of school safety zones △regular joint public-private-police safety inspections △5-meter stop line setbacks △pedestrian environment improvements, the city is organically implementing related tasks including 'regular operation of traffic safety facilities inspection teams,' 'expansion of diagonal crosswalks,' 'visibility improvements,' 'enhanced enforcement and campaigns,' 'review of speed limit reductions,' and 'establishment of inter-agency collaboration systems.'

Establishing Measures to Prevent Right-Turn Accidents at Intersections

Beyond school routes, the city is actively advancing intersection structure improvements and right-turn pedestrian protection measures to strengthen pedestrian safety across the urban area. This strategy aims to improve the overall pedestrian safety level for all citizens, going beyond school route improvements.

In cooperation with police, the city is expanding customized design to prevent collisions between right-turning vehicles and pedestrians. Crosswalks are being installed 5-7 meters or more away from intersections to provide adequate space for drivers to recognize pedestrians early and come to a stop. The city is also implementing structural improvements by adjusting left and right turn radii within intersections and securing pedestrian space after removing traffic islands.

Introduction of 'pedestrian-priority signal systems' is also gaining momentum. The city is refining signal systems to restrict unprotected passage of right-turning vehicles and ensure vehicles stop when pedestrians are crossing. Going forward, the city plans to consult with police to comprehensively revise the entire signal operation system so that the pedestrian-priority policy functions in practice.

The city is also expanding facilities to improve driver visibility. Runway-type crosswalk markers, LED signs, and right-turn pedestrian warning signs are being introduced, with priority application at frequent right-turn accident areas and school routes.

Signing Action-Oriented Agreements with 8 Organizations to Create Safe School Commutes

On April 30, Suwon signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding on Creating Safe School Routes' with 8 organizations including Suwon West, Central, and South Police Stations, Suwon Office of Education, Korea Road Traffic Authority Gyeonggi Branch, Korea Transportation Safety Authority Gyeonggi South Headquarters, and Suwon Elementary School Principals Council.

Participating organizations agreed to pool their efforts to create safe school routes through cooperation in various fields including △improvement of school safety zones and implementation of school route safety projects △pedestrian environment maintenance △joint public-private-police inspections △traffic safety education and campaigns. The organizations also plan to operate a working-level cooperation body to establish a sustainable cooperation system.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, "Protecting one child's every step raises the dignity of the entire city," and "We will continuously improve traffic safety infrastructure to build a sustainable safety system."