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Car lanes in urban areas across the country will be narrowed to make way for bicycle paths from December. For the convenience of pedestrians no trees or electric poles will be put on sidewalks near national, provincial or county roads.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs on Thursday issued a preliminary notice on revised road legislation saying the rules will take effect after due process in December.
The minimum width of each car lane in urban areas, where the speed limit is 40 km/h, will be reduced from the current 3 m to 2.75 m to secure room for cycle paths.
Kim Hyun-kyu, director of the office for the promotion of bicycle traffic at the Seoul metropolitan government welcomed the policy. "But given that each road has different characteristics, it'll be necessary to find out by inspecting roads whether it's actually possible to build a cycle path of at least 1.2 m width each way by reducing the width of car lanes,Ħħ he added.
The Seoul city government on Oct. 21 announced a plan to build 207 km of cycle paths in the capital by 2012 under the "road diet" principle, reducing the number of lanes on major roads, introducing a reversible lane system, or reducing the width of each lane. The ministry's new policy has nothing to say about these projected cycle paths because they are to be built along broad boulevards in the capital.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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