Uijeongbu City (Mayor Dong-Geun Kim) announced the Nokyang edition of Season 2 of the ‘Uijeongbu Upgrade Project’ on the 30th to further improve the living environment of citizens.
The city plans to promote 17 detailed projects with the following goals: ▲creating a citizen leisure sports town ▲making Nokyang a city where people want to walk ▲making Nokyang a place with convenient transportation.
□ Bringing the Sports Complex to the Citizens’ Bosom… Creating a Citizen Leisure Sports Town
The city is working to transform Uijeongbu Sports Complex in Nokyang-dong, which was previously focused on elite sports, into a citizen-centered leisure sports town that can be easily used by all citizens.
The Citizen Leisure Sports Town will be developed in stages until 2026, and the area around the sports complex will be transformed into a resident-friendly space.
Prior to this, last year, a citizen planning group consisting of citizens, sports group members, and experts planned a master plan for the creation of a citizen leisure sports town and carried out various activities such as idea suggestions and publicity. As part of this, the ‘Uijeongbu Citizen Sports Festival (U-Repe)’ led by the citizen planning group and participated by over 3,000 citizens was held successfully at the sports complex on June 10th last year, marking the beginning of the creation of a citizen leisure sports town.
Taking this opportunity, the city is working to expand sports infrastructure around the sports complex and improve accessibility.
First, the main stadium track in Uijeongbu Sports Complex, which had previously only been open during the day, was opened to the public at night starting in September of last year and operated on a trial basis until the end of the year.
After collecting public opinion on extending operating hours, the facility has been officially open and operating from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM on weekends (holidays) since March of this year.
In addition, in February, the 800m fence surrounding the main stadium and ice rink in the sports complex was removed to allow citizens to use the complex more conveniently.
The removal of the fence has made it easier for citizens to access the sports complex from anywhere, making it easier to use the facility.
In addition, construction is underway to install a new entrance to the ice rink, and there are plans to create a rest area for visitors by utilizing the nearby vacant lot.
A soccer field will be built near the sports complex (Nokyang-dong San 89-15). The soccer field will be built in the first phase of the project, and a track and field track is planned for the second phase, with completion targeted for 2025 and 2026, respectively.
In particular, the city opened the Northern Support Center of the Gyeonggi Sports Association and the Gyeonggi Sports Association for the Disabled in July.
The Gyeonggi Sports Council and Gyeonggi Sports Council for the Disabled Northern Support Center are administrative infrastructures designed to promote balanced sports development between the northern and southern regions of Gyeonggi Province and to revitalize sports in the northern region. They are expected to play a key role in actively responding to the sports welfare needs of the northern Gyeonggi Province residents.
□ Improving park facilities and establishing a safe pedestrian environment… Nokyang, a city where people want to walk
Mayor Kim Dong-geun always emphasizes that a city that is good for walking is also a city that is good for living. This is because a city that is good for walking is not just a means of transportation, but a medium that connects people and increases community awareness.
Last July, the city remodeled Gunma Neighborhood Park near Nokyang Station so that residents can use it comfortably. To prevent safety accidents, the facilities were reinforced and special spaces such as rain gardens and fog gardens were additionally installed, providing residents with rest and leisure while also improving ecological functions.
Rose Children’s Park (Nokyang-dong 385-1), located near the sports complex, is being transformed into a barrier-free integrated playground that respects diversity and where all children can run and play without discrimination. Currently, the detailed design service and preliminary certification (BF certification) service are in progress.
In addition, the city held a ‘Cultural Marathon Festival’ on June 8th at Camp Red Cloud (CRC) with the participation of 5,000 citizens. The event, which featured athletes Lee Bong-ju and Lim Chun-ae, received a great response with various experiences such as a marathon that ran from the sports complex to the roads around Camp Red Cloud (CRC), performances, and prize draws.
On May 25, the ‘Nokyang-dong Moonlight Busking’ festival was held successfully at the West Plaza of Nokyang Station. Hosted by the Nokyang-dong Residents’ Autonomy Association and the city, the festival presented joy to residents with busking performances, tarot cards, quilts, and other experiential programs. This festival, held in an everyday space that is easily accessible, received an enthusiastic response as it went beyond a simple event and became a place for harmony created by residents together.
A clean and safe pedestrian environment is also an essential part of creating a city where people want to walk. The city is also working to improve the pedestrian environment so that it can contribute to the health of citizens and the revitalization of the local economy.
As a representative example, the Nokyangcheon pedestrian path from the ‘Nokyang 119 Safety Center’ to ‘Nokyang Station’ was brightened in July. This section has a lot of traffic, but many residents were inconvenienced by the dark night road. The city installed landscape lighting and high-level lighting in the section to resolve this inconvenience.
In addition, 104 old lighting facilities on Cheyukgyo-ro were replaced with light-emitting diode (LED) lights, and new light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights were installed near Gwangdong High School to provide a pedestrian environment where residents can walk safely at night.
Near Willow Elementary School, a pedestrian signal voice guidance assistance device has been installed to protect children from the risk of accidents, and it is expected to be effective in preventing children’s safety accidents.
In addition, as sudden heavy rain continues due to recent abnormal weather, smart safety barriers were installed in a total of 6 locations, including the Jungnangcheon entrance and exit and the Nokyangcheon sidewalk, to prevent pedestrian safety accidents.
In addition, the restoration of the mountain around the sports complex, which had been suffering from illegal farming since May, has been completed. The area, which had been continuously receiving complaints about environmental damage and the city’s appearance being damaged by abandoned agricultural waste and illegally stored items, has been returned to the residents with a refreshing appearance.
□ Operation of student school buses to improve convenience of commuting… Nokyang with convenient transportation
Cities with well-developed transportation infrastructure offer a variety of advantages that improve the quality of life.
Accordingly, the city opened the Camp Red Cloud (CRC) passage road (1km) on July 3 last year, which greatly alleviated traffic congestion on the sports road from the sports complex intersection to Seobu-ro.
In particular, the commuting environment for students who have been suffering from long commute times will be greatly improved. Starting August 13, the city, in cooperation with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and Uijeongbu Office of Education, began operating a ‘student-only school bus’ that connects homes and schools via the shortest route during commuting times.
The school bus consists of a total of 6 routes, from Student 01 to Student 06. It is a large bus that can accommodate 40 people or more and runs once to school (7:50 AM) and twice to school (3:20 PM and 5:10 PM). It is expected to shorten the average one-way trip by 20 minutes (1 hour → 40 minutes), and up to 30 minutes, compared to using existing public transportation.
Transportation infrastructure for Nokyang residents is also being expanded. Starting March 1, bus routes 1-7 were changed to pass through Uiyeo High School, Uiyong High School, Uiyeo High School~Court, and Public Prosecutors’ Office, making access to Songsan and Gosan areas easier.
The city is responding quickly to minimize inconvenience to residents heading to Seoul. As a replacement route for Route 106, which was suspended due to Seoul City’s sudden announcement of the line closure, a new route, Route 106-1 (Daewon Passenger Depot – Dobongsan Station), was established and began operating on August 3.
It will depart at 15-minute intervals from 4:00 AM, with a total of 4 buses on weekdays and 3 buses on Saturdays and public holidays. The city expects that this new route will not only meet the demand for early morning and day/night use of the existing Route 106 Pyeonghwa-ro section, but also provide subway connections for Lines 1 and 7, and transfer conditions for Seoul buses at the Dobongsan Station Transfer Center.
Mayor Kim Dong-geun said, “We will make Nokyang a more livable city by providing sports infrastructure that is easily accessible to citizens, a safe and walkable urban environment, and a convenient transportation environment,” and “We will continue to do our best to create a city where all residents can be happy and feel proud.”
Meanwhile, the ‘Uijeongbu Upgrade Project’ is a planned project to share the vision of Uijeongbu, a city that changes my life, with residents. The city is systemizing the projects in each area, such as transportation, commercial districts, culture, education, and welfare, that are being promoted by district, so that residents of each district can experience them more easily. Next month, the ‘Minrak Edition’ is scheduled to be released.
Economy Queen Reporter Hongmi Kim / Photo Uijeongbu City
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2024-09-01 09:07:46