Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung Hun) has announced that the number of residents taking part in the signature campaign to attract GTX-D linking the western part of the capital area to Gangdong-gu and Hanam City exceeded 100,000.

GTX is a project intended to relieve the traffic congestions in the Seoul metropolitan area and promote the convenience of long-distance commuters by linking the suburbs of the capital area to key spots in downtown Seoul within 30 minutes. Gangdong-gu entered the race to introduce GTX-D after the Metropolitan Transport Commission of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport revealed a plan to “consider a new route in the western part” in its “metropolitan transport vision 2030” in October last year.

If GTX-D passes through Gangdong-gu, it will be possible to move to southern Seoul within 10 minutes and major spots of the capital area within 30 minutes. This will help improve the lives of residents by facilitating metropolitan transportation and shortening the commuting time dramatically and enable Gangdong-gu to emerge as the major transportation hub in the eastern district of the capital area, coupled with the extension of subway lines 5, 8 and 9 and the opening of the Seoul-Sejong expressway.

To attract GTX-D, Gangdong-gu has been conducting an easy and fast online signature campaign using the QR code via newsletters, website and social media since March and an offline signature campaign in key spots as gu-Office, community service centers and subway stations.

On top of that, Gangdong-gu Office solidified the bond of sympathy among residents by holding an explanation session on August 5 and began private-public efforts concerning the creation of GTX-D by hosting the “debate on constructing new GTX-D for Gangdong-gu and Hanam City and launching ceremony for the bidding committee” on August 24.

As a result, more than 100,000 residents, accounting one fourth of Gangdong-gu’s total population, took part in the signature campaign in five months.

Along with the signature campaign, Gangdong-gu has been pushing for a research project to establish justification for the attraction of GTX-D. It was intended to discover the best GTX-D route based on an objective data and prove the project’s feasibility through comprehensive analyses on economic, financial and political outcomes.

Gangdong-gu Office plans to deliver the best route plan made through commissioning to Seoul Metropolitan Government and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in early September so that the route plan involving Gangdong-gu can be reflected in the “second basic metropolitan transport plan” and the “fourth national railway construction plan.”

Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jung Hun said, “I could see the residents’ strong desire for the attraction of GTX-D through this signature campaign. I will endeavor to provide residents with convenient traffic infrastructure by attracting GTX-D to Gangdong-gu in addition to the ongoing extension of subway lines 5, 8 and 9 and other major transport network expansion projects, including the Sejong-Pocheon expressway.”

<Related Photos>

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  The signature campaign to attract GTX-D gets underway (left: open garden / right: entrance to the Gangdong-gu Office )

  

  “Debate on constructing new GTX-D for Gangdong-gu and Hanam