While traveling through South America Seoul’s mayor Won-soon Park announced on Sunday that there will be a ‘people-centered bicycle revolution’ and introduced the concept of bicycle highways under the name ‘Cycle Rapid Transportation’. In this article we will take a look at this concept and analyze how realistic this project is.
The mayor presented in Bogota the concept of bicycle highway network through Korea’s capital. He used the expression Cycle Rapid Transportation (or CRT in short) as an homage to bus rapid transportation (BRT). Actually Seoul learned back in the early 2000s a lot from Bogota’s BRT which is regarded as a best practice.
The main principle of Cycle Rapid Transportation is to provide exclusive infrastructure for cycling in Seoul. The planned bicycle highways will stretch through the whole city as you can see in the graphic below:
The Cycle Rapid Transportation concept consists of four types of bicycle lanes:
Let’s take a closer look at each of the types and assess the design, approach and feasibility.
The sidewalk highway is my most favorite type. It’s a very simple design that just requires a widening of the sidewalk. It reminds me of the Copenhagen approach where the cycling lanes are between pedestrian path and road. The bicycle lane is elevated, so cars won’t be able to easily enter the bicycle lane. In my opinion, this type of bicycle lane is possible on all major streets in Seoul. It doesn’t cost a lot and can be built quickly. Of course, it requires a certain level of consultation and dialogue with local residents and businesses.
The canopy-style bicycle highway is an elevated bicycle lane which runs above the BRT lanes. In the design it looks as if the bicycle infrastructure is covered. That’s probably why it’s called canopy. Actually, the planned Cycle Rapid Transportation network is almost identical with Seoul’s BRT network. But any elevated infrastructure is expensive and it isn’t easy to build. It will require a lot of access points to make it convenient to use.
The tube bicycle highways are, as the name implies, tubes that will run in parallel to other elevated structures. This type will be constructed at bridges and Seoullo 7017. In the concept it is planned to have cycling tubes at the Olympic Bridge, Yeongdong Bridge, Banpo Bridge, Wonhyo Bridge and Gayang Bridge. My issue with this type is that it’s going to be very expensive. Tubes require ventilation and again, access points will be needed.
The last type is called “green carpet” highways. The basic idea is to build suspended bicycle infrastructure. In this case it won’t be covered and in the design you can see that there will be some vegetation along the bicycle lanes. Trees that can provide some shadow would be nice but then the elevated structure has to support it and a lot of efforts has to be invested to maintain the trees.
The issue with Type 2 to 4 is that elevated infrastructure isn’t cheap. A few years ago the architect Norman Foster suggested suspended bicycle highways (the SkyCycle) in London but it caused a large debate and the city said it’s impossible to realize. Seoul doesn’t have a huge budget for cycling infrastructure and it’s difficult to imagine that they will be able to construct all of these lanes. A first step for Seoul will be to do a feasibility study in this year.
Seoul didn’t even yet complete the BRT network! It’s been in development since over 15 years. The Cycle Rapid Transportation network would take very long time to build. This project will have the risk of being cancelled by the next mayor before the first cycling lanes are even complete.
The approach is amazing and a people-centered bicycle revolution sounds great. People cycling in Seoul really want exclusive bicycle infrastructure and I hope that Seoul builds most of the Cycle Rapid Transportation as the separated, sidewalk bicycle lane. Seoul already expressed several plans of implementing road diets (speed reductions, less car lanes) and transforming it to more space for people walking and cycling. If 90% of the new bicycle infrastructure is built as Type 1, then I and many people cycling on Seoul’s streets will be very happy and we could actually see very quickly an implementation.
Sources: Yonhap News | Seoul’s Media Hub
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How will they enforce these new lanes? There are already tons of “bike lanes” on the sidewalk that are regularly parked in by cars, street carts and motorcycles. I don’t see how this will help without increased enforcement of existing rules.
I agree with you that dedicated lanes between sidewalks and roads make the most sense, not just for cost but accessibility, not to mention aesthetics. After infrastructure, I think the main obstacle to cycling in Seoul is the terrain, followed by the weather. Unless you’re particularly hot and cold resistant, the windows for comfortable cycling are limited, and the problem is compounded in the summer with sweating to get uphill. The covered styles of bike lanes might help against the weather, but more importantly, what about all the ups and downs around Seoul? Is there any chance of 따릉이 someday being upgraded to an electric assist fleet? Or perhaps could we see a bicycle network that relies mainly on sidewalk bike lanes, but accepts the cost of under- and aboveground segments for more feasible biking?
Hey Philip!
Thanks for the comment. Yes, there are plans to introduce e-bikes in the bikesharing fleet. I believe that Seoul will start with it next year (2020). The weather in Denmark and the Netherlands isn't amazing all year but still most people cycle. But yes, I can understand that weather is an issue. Do you mean that there are under- and aboveground segments at certain hilly areas, so that the gradient/slope of the bicycle lane stays as low as possible? Underground segments are going to be extremely expensive (and will face a lot of other issues).
The idea remembers me somehow at the Supercykelstierne (Cyclesuperhighways) in Copenhagen, but the idea of "Skyways" shows me one very important thing: There is no real interest in Cycling! If there would be real interest to strengthen cycling they would take the streetspace form cars and give it to cyclists instead of building very expensive (and maybe useless: no contact to public space, shopping facilites,...) cycling tunnels, tubes or "airlanes". Furthermore is one very important detail missing (also in the text?): Why does Soeul need this kind of infrastrucutre? What is the idea or vision? I guess there is the idea of a modal-shift from cars to bikes? Its more healthy, more climate neutral, needs less space, higher livability,aso. I think its a great idea in general, because it can help to establish cycling as daily usable transport mode with high quality infrastructure, but therefore is an overall political and public consensus necessary to further improve this kind of cycling-infrastructure. As far as i have read, i cant see that. By the way, has Southkorea also some kind of e-mobility strategy or vision? Because this is a very interesting point in Germany, where e-bikes and pedelecs fit perfectly in the context of "energy-transition" and the support of "e-cars". Maybe there are some similarities?
I spent 2 wks in March and August 2018 cycling around Seoul and 3 wks this past May and June, as well as 2 wks riding from Sokcho to Busan in May.
My friend Soonyoung and I cycled from near Gangnam Station to Hongik Univ. and back in 40°C heat and had a great time. Spandex is mandatory in that heat, but cycling is still the best way to go in hot weather, with built-in AC. Soonyoung hadn't ridden in 20 yrs but she did great following me through traffic. Let it be said that very few people could do the same. Seoul drivers are as good as any when it comes to cyclists. The street and road surfaces are outstanding The existing bicycle infrastructure is good to great. I rode the entire Han River Trail on both sides.Totally DAEBAK!
Seoul needs to balance it's resources, especially when it comes to marketing. Selling the idea of bike Transportation is key. Getting famous and powerful people riding to work on bikes and reporting it is always a good thing. Funding elementary school bike training. Getting bikes and biking in more Kdramas. If Subway can get placed in every other drama (seriously?), why not.cycling.
There were a lot of riders on the HRT but very few in traffic, mostly fast-moving road bikers like me.
Whatever they bulid, it needs to be built smooth, and built to stay smooth.
Hey,
Thanks for your comments! These are great suggestions!