Considering how densely populated Seoul is I just don’t see how more bike lanes will help reduce traffic? Plus the risk of an accident and just dealing with inclement weather is another major turn off from using bikes in Seoul. Additionally I don’t see how more bike lanes will cause increased use of an already heavily used mass transit system:
Darren Bean, left, a representative of the Seoul City Foreign Residents Council, which comprises 38 representatives from 23 countries, presents a policy recommendation to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday at the Seoul City Hall. [PARK SANG-MOON]The Seoul City Foreign Residents Council gathered once more this year at City Hall to address how the city can improve for all Seoulites, proposing policy recommendations to the city government on Wednesday.
Created on Dec. 18, 2015, in celebration of the United Nation’s International Migrants Day, the committee is the first one in Korea to be affiliated with a local government and comprise only foreign residents, totaling 38 people from 23 countries. Unlike the first general meeting in July, the propositions voiced at the meeting on Wednesday concerned not only foreigners but Koreans.
“I have been in Korea for three years,” said Karolina Zasadzka from Poland, speaking in Korean, “but I still cannot get used to the terrible traffic jams and air pollution.”
“The city needs to encourage more people to bike to work or take public transportation to cope with the worsening environmental pollution,” she said. “In Europe, there is a system called Park & Ride, where people can drive their car or ride their bike to a subway or train station near their house, park their vehicles for free or at a low cost, and get on the public transportation to get into the city for work.”
She added, “And for more people to bike to work, I think the mindset of Korean people needs to be changed, because not many are very careful drivers who would stop for a person crossing the street, and most bike lanes remain blocked by parked cars.” [Joong Ang Ilbo]
Is this red meat tossed out to attract comments from me and CH? I think it may be…
Anyways, as a dedicated cyclist, who commutes most days by bicycle, my answer is “maybe, but probably not.”
Seoul is built up quite densely, with little room for changing and improving the infrastructure for bicycles. There is a very good bike lane system along the Han, but it doesn’t radiate out into the city very well. I don’t see this improving without destroying large and expensive swaths of buildings to widen the roads to include protected or unprotected bike lanes. While I had the legs and bike to keep up with traffic, most folks don’t.
Park and Ride works better with a suburb to urban structure like San Diego, but Seoul is all city. I could park my car in Uijeongbu or Yangju and leave my car in a free lot, but that vanishes once you head even one or two stations south.
Traffic has gotten both worse and better since my first visit to Korea in 1990 or so. The cabbies in Busan were madmen, gas pedal floored, hand constantly beeping the horn, zipping in and out of traffic.
By the time I moved to Korea, traffic had gotten so slow and dense that any rider with legs enough to hold at 30kph and sprint up to 40 or so could easily hang with the cars. Fewer Type A drivers, or maybe more Type Bs. Not nearly as aggressive in the 2010s as they were in thr 1990s.
My morning commute includes a stretch of HanGang-ro – which is an eight-lane major thoroughfare with six lanes for cars and two bus lanes in the middle of it. It’s not too uncommon to see guys riding bikes in the outside lane. Personally, I think they have a death wish, because the roads are packed but generally move along at a decent pace. The lanes are not very wide though. So if a car is in the outside lane, because of the traffic, there probably isn’t a chance to slide to the left a little bit to safely get around the bicyclist – so most cars just stay in the lane and fly by the bicyclist – often coming dangerously close. If I really wanted to ride my bike to work along that route – I’d ride on the sidewalk. That has its own pitfalls – but least you don’t have to worry about getting run over.
Smokes
8 years ago
Seoul’s a lost cause. Fine example of why cities should only get so big. Just going to have to wait for teleporters. 😛
setnaffa
8 years ago
Ignorant foreigners trying to turn Seoul into friggin’ Den Haage. Ain’t gonna happen. That dog won’t hunt. Plus there’s already no place to park.
Next, the bikers will want a place to leave their suicide machines–and they’ll demand a certain percentage of the spots Koreans already stab each other to obtain. This is madness!
I wish all foreigners would stop trying to “help” out the people in the countries they visit and just assimilate into the local culture or leave. The idea that Europe, overrun with millions of non-working “refugees” can be a model for Korea is repulsive. The idea that millions Koreans need to change to suit these 38 people is the height of arrogance.
Maybe they’d be happier back in their own countries. I knoew I’d be happier if they left Korea alone. It’s already a nice place and easy to get where you want to go. One plans for travel time. And biking on city streets in New York, London, Chicago, LA, or even Warsaw is no safer.
Anyways, the Korean government probably called them in to get their rubber stamp seal of approval. It happens all the time. I wish I could find the article, but there was some event the government asked for input from foreigners. They rented a big hall, catered in a meal, and went through the motions of getting the opinions of the “outsiders.” Spent approx. $10,000 for everything… and they had already decided on whatever it was through the Korean system. When the foreigners gave their suggestions and preferences (which wasn’t what the Big Wigs Upstairs” wanted, the hosts got all nervous.
This is how we get “I. Seoul. U.” and “It’s you, PyongChang!”
Korea Knows Best, even when they don’t have a clue…
@MTB Rider, I thought this would be good red meat for you when I saw this article. I just see no way Seoul becomes a bicycle friendly city without taking away lanes for cars which would make the traffic even worse. Plus I am unconvinced many Koreans would still ride a bicycle to work considering the weather. Who wants to ride a bicycle in the snow with freezing temperatures or in a monsoon? How many businesses even have a shower facility for people riding bikes to work?
Is this red meat tossed out to attract comments from me and CH? I think it may be…
Anyways, as a dedicated cyclist, who commutes most days by bicycle, my answer is “maybe, but probably not.”
Seoul is built up quite densely, with little room for changing and improving the infrastructure for bicycles. There is a very good bike lane system along the Han, but it doesn’t radiate out into the city very well. I don’t see this improving without destroying large and expensive swaths of buildings to widen the roads to include protected or unprotected bike lanes. While I had the legs and bike to keep up with traffic, most folks don’t.
Park and Ride works better with a suburb to urban structure like San Diego, but Seoul is all city. I could park my car in Uijeongbu or Yangju and leave my car in a free lot, but that vanishes once you head even one or two stations south.
As for the weather, all I can say is HTFU.
See Rules 5, 9, and 10.
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Traffic has gotten both worse and better since my first visit to Korea in 1990 or so. The cabbies in Busan were madmen, gas pedal floored, hand constantly beeping the horn, zipping in and out of traffic.
By the time I moved to Korea, traffic had gotten so slow and dense that any rider with legs enough to hold at 30kph and sprint up to 40 or so could easily hang with the cars. Fewer Type A drivers, or maybe more Type Bs. Not nearly as aggressive in the 2010s as they were in thr 1990s.
Just a few thoughts…
My morning commute includes a stretch of HanGang-ro – which is an eight-lane major thoroughfare with six lanes for cars and two bus lanes in the middle of it. It’s not too uncommon to see guys riding bikes in the outside lane. Personally, I think they have a death wish, because the roads are packed but generally move along at a decent pace. The lanes are not very wide though. So if a car is in the outside lane, because of the traffic, there probably isn’t a chance to slide to the left a little bit to safely get around the bicyclist – so most cars just stay in the lane and fly by the bicyclist – often coming dangerously close. If I really wanted to ride my bike to work along that route – I’d ride on the sidewalk. That has its own pitfalls – but least you don’t have to worry about getting run over.
Seoul’s a lost cause. Fine example of why cities should only get so big. Just going to have to wait for teleporters. 😛
Ignorant foreigners trying to turn Seoul into friggin’ Den Haage. Ain’t gonna happen. That dog won’t hunt. Plus there’s already no place to park.
Next, the bikers will want a place to leave their suicide machines–and they’ll demand a certain percentage of the spots Koreans already stab each other to obtain. This is madness!
I wish all foreigners would stop trying to “help” out the people in the countries they visit and just assimilate into the local culture or leave. The idea that Europe, overrun with millions of non-working “refugees” can be a model for Korea is repulsive. The idea that millions Koreans need to change to suit these 38 people is the height of arrogance.
Maybe they’d be happier back in their own countries. I knoew I’d be happier if they left Korea alone. It’s already a nice place and easy to get where you want to go. One plans for travel time. And biking on city streets in New York, London, Chicago, LA, or even Warsaw is no safer.
(Maybe I should switch to decaf.)
Or at least try the half-caff…
Anyways, the Korean government probably called them in to get their rubber stamp seal of approval. It happens all the time. I wish I could find the article, but there was some event the government asked for input from foreigners. They rented a big hall, catered in a meal, and went through the motions of getting the opinions of the “outsiders.” Spent approx. $10,000 for everything… and they had already decided on whatever it was through the Korean system. When the foreigners gave their suggestions and preferences (which wasn’t what the Big Wigs Upstairs” wanted, the hosts got all nervous.
This is how we get “I. Seoul. U.” and “It’s you, PyongChang!”
Korea Knows Best, even when they don’t have a clue…
“Sparkling!”
@MTB Rider, I thought this would be good red meat for you when I saw this article. I just see no way Seoul becomes a bicycle friendly city without taking away lanes for cars which would make the traffic even worse. Plus I am unconvinced many Koreans would still ride a bicycle to work considering the weather. Who wants to ride a bicycle in the snow with freezing temperatures or in a monsoon? How many businesses even have a shower facility for people riding bikes to work?