Suwon's Value to Rise Through Expansion of Urban Infrastructure

The Construction and Transportation Department's projects are largely visible. It is a department concentrated on major road construction, public transportation, road environment, and parking-related projects. Inevitably, there are many complaints from citizens regarding compensation issues from road construction, traffic congestion, and public transportation inconveniences. The Construction and Transportation Department plans to concentrate its administrative capacity on resolving these major complaints this year. In addition, it will establish a social safety net and implement various prevention projects to enhance Suwon's status as an internationally recognized safe city. Furthermore, it will improve the quality of public transportation services for buses and taxis, and activate public transportation through the establishment of a traffic information system. We hear specific plans to enhance the brand value of 'Suwon' through improvements and expansion of urban infrastructure. <Editor's Note>

● Choi Cheol-gyu, Construction and Transportation Director: "Suwon's Value to Rise Through Expansion of Urban Infrastructure"

First, we will continuously expand road networks where citizens feel comfortable and pleasant. Six ongoing projects, such as the Samsung-ro Expansion Project to create a city suitable for business operations, are being pursued to minimize citizen inconvenience. Additionally, we will exert maximum effort to secure budgets early and proceed without setback for three new projects, including the road expansion work from Changryongmun Intersection to Yeonmu Intersection, and five projects including the three-dimensional development of Changryongmun Intersection coordinated with the Gwanggyo New City development.

In line with an 'International Safe City,' we plan to establish a safety net to create an accident-free city through perfect management of disaster-vulnerable facilities and thorough safety inspections. Together with this, we will establish a safe and swift urban transportation system to create a pleasant road traffic environment where citizens do not feel frustrated.

We will advance public transportation and improve service quality to encourage citizens to use public transportation in a friendly and safe manner, while strengthening guidance and crackdowns on illegal parking and traffic law violations by commercial vehicles so that citizens recognize public transportation as the fastest and most convenient means of transportation.

By 2012, we are promoting an advanced vehicle management information system project that will allow citizens to handle vehicle registration and management tasks directly from home via the internet without having to visit government offices. Upon completion of this project, we expect to reduce inconvenience to citizens and administrative losses. Since active cooperation and interest from citizens will determine the success of our major policy projects, we ask for your support.

● Yi Jun-ha, Construction Division Director: "Proceeding with Samsung-ro Expansion and Road Network Expansion Without Setback"

To advance into a world-class city, road network expansion projects are underway to establish urban infrastructure. First, the Samsung-ro Expansion Project will begin construction this month, targeting completion in March 2011. We plan to begin construction starting from areas where compensation has been completed. The two-section road opening project from Cheoncheon Apartment to Seongdae Station and the one-section road opening project from Park Ji-sung Road to Provincial Road 315 are also scheduled to begin construction this month.

Additionally, the road expansion work from Changryongmun Intersection to Yeonmu Intersection, the road opening project from Ipbuk-dong Ungbi Apartment to the Suwon city boundary, the road opening project behind Samsung Apartment in Yuljeone-dong, and the Guguknodo No. 1 Expansion Project are expected to complete compensation negotiations within this year. The road opening project around Saegsaek-dong Distribution Center is undergoing detailed design consulting, and if compensation is completed this year, we plan to secure project funds next year and proceed with construction.

The Suwon Outer Ring Road (North) Project, which is being pursued as a private investment project, will complete all administrative procedures within this year, begin construction in early next year, and establish the private-investment road by June 2013. In particular, we are continuously coordinating to ensure that projects promoted by related agencies do not face setbacks. The three-dimensional development of Changryongmun Intersection and the three-dimensional development of Beophweon Intersection, which are being pursued by Gyeonggi Urban Development Corporation as joint implementation partners for the Gwanggyo New City development, are scheduled to begin construction next month, and three projects including the underground underpass at Yeoyoung-ri Intersection have already begun construction or are planned to begin within this year.

● Kim Hak-bun, Disaster and Safety Management Director: "Discovering Advanced Loss Prevention Programs for Leap Toward a Safe City"

In 2002, our city received official recognition as a 'Safe City' from the WHO (World Health Organization) Regional Collaborative Center for Community Safety Promotion, becoming Asia's first and the world's 63rd, and in 2007, we achieved the remarkable feat of obtaining re-certification (5-year cycle). We achieved this with the support of our citizens, and moving forward, we plan to establish the foundation to create an even safer city.

We will systematically and scientifically promote loss prevention projects from infants and young children to the elderly, continuously reducing social and economic losses. To this end, we will spare no investment in discovering advanced loss prevention programs. As one such effort, we will actively promote child safety car seat installation projects this year and implement campaigns to enhance citizen safety and encourage citizen participation.

Furthermore, we will continuously promote safety inspections and safety culture campaigns for 2,094 disaster-vulnerable facilities, including Maetan-dong Taekwang Apartment Complex, which face high risks of disaster or require management. We will operate a 24-hour situation room to create a city safe from disasters.

To prepare for various unpredictable disaster situations such as heavy rain, typhoons, earthquakes, and subway fires, we have installed disaster video surveillance systems (CC-TV) at a total of 72 locations, including seven major rivers in the Suwon area, seven underground underpasses, three reservoirs, four forest fire watch stations, and 51 traffic information stations, conducting 24-hour monitoring. We have established and operate a Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters 24 hours a day, and in times of emergency, all Suwon municipal officials are on standby for disaster prevention, preparation, and response.

● Kim Joo-hong, Road Traffic Director: "Concentrating Administrative Capacity on Establishing Developed-Nation-Type Transportation System"

To ease parking shortages in residential areas, we have already invested 1.5 billion won to create 171 spaces in 9 locations across 6 buildings, and this year we plan to additionally invest 2.8 billion won to install 249 spaces in 28 locations across 6 buildings. Furthermore, we have created 932 spaces in 16 locations through residential priority parking projects, and this year we plan to invest 800 million won to secure 10,000 spaces in 34 buildings, gradually expanding until parking capacity reaches 100%.

Following the establishment of the Northern Bus Public Garage with 16.9 billion won in project costs, we are currently pursuing the establishment of a Western Bus Public Garage in Homaesil-dong with an investment of 16.9 billion won. Additionally, we will secure an additional 103.5 billion won by 2013 to establish garages in the southern and eastern regions, realizing transportation convenience for citizens.

We will continuously promote traffic system improvement projects in congested areas to establish a 24-hour smooth traffic system. Following the improvement of 18 congested areas including Suwon Station last year, this year we plan to invest 2.6 billion won to improve 32 congested areas including Pyeong-dong Street.

Furthermore, to promote citizen health and energy conservation, we plan to invest 13 billion won by 2012 to additionally create 73.6 km of green ways along Suwon Stream, establishing a total of 356.2 km of bicycle roads and promoting bicycle usage activation projects. The bus information system (BIS), which currently has an installation rate of 30%, will be expanded through additional regional BIS projects (70 locations) and in-house BIS expansion projects (100 locations), raising the installation rate to 49%.

● Park Hyung-sik, Public Transportation Director: "Taking the Lead in Public Transportation Modernization and Service Quality Improvement"

This year's key priority direction for the Public Transportation Division is the modernization of public transportation and improvement of service quality. To this end, we will conduct a project to foster 'friendly, clean, and safe brand taxis' and conduct 'bus and taxi courtesy evaluations.'

To shift focus to taxi users, we plan to support operating costs for activating the use of transportation card terminals and allocate 785.5 million won to taxi vehicle dashcam installation projects. Next, we will establish transfer systems for convenient public transportation use and expand and upgrade transit facility infrastructure. We will establish transfer systems in coordination with newly constructed subway stations and rationalize and reorganize 18 winding routes and other irrational routes.

Additionally, this year we will introduce 21 more low-floor buses for transportation-disadvantaged groups and expand 30 bus stops reflecting Suwon's identity and characteristics and culture by region. We will be more thorough in preventing consumer damage related to used vehicle performance inspections and sales. Since last year, we have instructed performance inspection agencies to improve terms and conditions unfavorable to consumers, and we have implemented measures to use the Suwon-recommended terms and conditions, which facilitate consumer damage remediation.

Finally, to establish an advanced traffic culture, we will establish 'safe and smooth traffic and transportation order.' Through active operation of the 'Children's Traffic Park,' we will cultivate traffic safety awareness among kindergarteners and elementary school students, and through continuous maintenance of traffic facilities such as indoor education facilities, outdoor overpasses, and lane markings, and substantive education, we will lead the modernization of traffic culture.

● Hong Bong-soon, Vehicle Registration Office Director: "Establishing System for Vehicle Management Tasks from Home"

The Vehicle Registration Office, which receives approximately 1,500 visitors daily, will create a pleasant civil petition environment by producing and displaying civil petition bulletin boards and sample forms, and expanding convenient waiting facilities in the vehicle license plate attachment and detachment area outside the building, continuing improvements going forward.

Through website renovation and specialized web service establishment through in-house operation, we will enable citizens to easily and usefully obtain the information they need. We have already allocated 227 million won for a server construction project. The current website consistently features legal content and narrative descriptions, making it difficult to understand administrative procedures, required documents, and other administrative matters, and there have been limitations in improving citizen-inquired matters due to the lack of an in-house system.

Beyond this, we actively support the 'Vehicle Management Information System Advanced Project' led by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, and are assigning one staff member to work part-time at the project team two days per week. With the reflection of vehicle registration administrative operations, we will actively cooperate to establish a no-visit, no-document vehicle registration administrative system.

Furthermore, to support childbirth incentives and childcare support implemented since January, those raising three or more direct descendants under 18 years of age and acquiring and registering a vehicle for childcare purposes can receive a 50% exemption on acquisition and registration taxes, and we will strengthen promotional activities and post-management for non-taxable exemption vehicles.

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