Seoul proposes speed limit for bikes to stop reckless cyclists

Home > National > Social Affairs

Seoul proposes speed limit for bikes to stop reckless cyclists

Published: 13 Nov. 2023, 15:37 Updated: 14 Nov. 2023, 14:22

LEE SOO-JUNG
lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr

Screens show bicycle speeds tracked by AI-based CCTVs. [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to legally establish a 20-kilometer (12.42 miles) per hour speed limit on bicycle lanes along the Han River.

Though Seoul currently advises bike riders to stay under 20 kilometers per hour, this is merely a guideline without legal force.

Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday proposed that the national government amend the Road Traffic Act to put speed limits on bicycles on specific bike paths — particularly in Han River Park — by the end of this year.

The city also plans to utilize AI to spot bicycles exceeding the speed limit and improve bike-related infrastructure.

Seoul argues that the speed limit is needed because cyclists racing along Han River Park's bike trails represent a threat to other visitors to the park.

Some 471 bicycle accidents occurred in Han River Park over the last five years. Of these, 48.2 percent were blamed on speeding.

Although laws governing the use of bicycles and related infrastructure exist, they only define the design speeds of bike lanes.

Bicycle-only lanes have a design speed of 30 kilometers per hour, while roads and paths shared with cars and pedestrians have design speeds of 20 kilometers per hour.

However, design speeds are not legally binding on cyclists themselves. Thus, bike lanes in Han River Park have become lawless zones, with some cyclists treating the park like their own personal velodrome.

Legally, the bike lanes are designated as shareable paths with pedestrians with design speeds of 20 kilometers per hour.

To effectively prevent speeding, the city government has been utilizing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to identify speeding bicycles.

In 2021, dozens of AI-powered CCTVs were installed in nine places in Han River Park. The CCTVs can measure bicycle speeds.

However, the CCTVs were more motivational tools than enforcement mechanisms.

“There are no legal grounds to punish or crack down on speeding bikers,” an official from the facility department of Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Hangang Project Headquarters said.

“The CCTVs introduced in 2021 were means to teach riders not to speed.”

With no enforceable laws, the city’s hands were tied even if the CCTV identified a dangerous rider.

However, if Seoul's proposed amendment takes effect, the city can use its AI-powered CCTVs to crack down on speeders in earnest.

The city government plans to increase the number of AI-powered CCTVs in Han River Park from 33 this year to 40 by 2025, with new systems installed in major stretches of the park like Ttukseom, Ichon and Mangwon.

The cameras can also broadcast sound alerts through an attached speaker to remind people to ride at a safe speed.

Additionally, the city will install dozens of regular CCTVs to spot accidents at blind spots, with 177 CCTVs in operation by 2025.

The city will take other measures to reduce bike speeds.

For instance, it will make bike trails in areas with many pedestrians a different color to remind cyclists to slow down.

Volunteer bicycle patrol members hold signs urging cyclists to keep their speeds down.[SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Bustling crossways will be rebuilt as modern roundabouts for smoother traffic. Such roundabouts will be built in the downstream area of Saetgang in Yeouido, Dongjak Bridge in Banpo and Jamsil Naru Nadeulmok.

The city will also elevate crosswalks to the same height as sidewalks, effectively making them safety bumps. The area within 100 meters of crosswalks will be designated pedestrian safety zones, too.

Seoul will lengthen stretches of bike paths completely separated from pedestrian paths with green tracks by 3.7 kilometers by 2025, bringing the total to 50.8 kilometers.

Trail markers will be installed along the 78-kilometer path from end to end. Wooden trail markers will be placed every 1 kilometer, and road markings will be placed every 5 kilometers.

Some 170 signs and flags with the message, “Speeding is a lethal weapon,” will be hung across the bike trail.

“The renovation of bike trails and infrastructure will be completed by 2025,” said Joo Yong-tae, head of Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Hangang Project Headquarters.

“The renovation will allow pedestrians and bike riders alike to enjoy Han River Park safely. But to do so, cyclists should follow the 20 kilometer-per-hour restriction.”

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]