No car-free weekends in Sinchon until September

Seoul says it will study impact of traffic returning to the area to determine future policy

Yonsei-ro’s 500-meter-long section connects Sinchon Station and the main gate of Yonsei University. (Choi Jae-hee / The Korea Herald)

On weekends, a street from Sinchon Station to the main gate of Yonsei University in Seoul has turned into a K-pop mecca, where various performances and fan events draw crowds of young music fans from all over the world to the car-free zone.

However, the lively scene is unlikely to continue from later this month, as the Seoul Metropolitan Government decided Thursday to lift the weekend traffic ban which had been in place for nine years.

From Jan. 20 until September, all automobile vehicles except two-wheeled ones including taxis and passenger cars will be allowed to enter the 500-meter-long street on the weekends.

The latest decision came in response to requests from residents in the Sinchon area over the inconvenience caused by the traffic ban. Some merchants also requested an end to the car-free policy, citing its impact on business.

The car-free Sinchon street policy went into effect in January 2014. Blocked off for pedestrians from 2 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Sunday, the area had become a space for festivals and music performances inside the city center. During the car-free hours, only public buses, emergency vehicles and bikes were permitted to use the road.

"As the pedestrian environment on the street has improved through the expansion of sidewalks and removal of obstacles like voltage distribution boxes, we will closely monitor related situations and listen to citizens' opinions carefully,” said Yoon Jong-jang, head of the city government’s urban transportation department.

The government plans to decide on its future policy after thoroughly analyzing the impact of automobile traffic returning to the area, officials said.

By Choi Jae-hee(cjh@heraldcorp.com)