Elderly Jaywalk Near Bucheon Station Due to Distant Crosswalks

In a Bucheon alleyway near Sosaeul Station, elderly residents are taking risks to reach daily necessities. Lee Young-seok, 82, was seen crossing a two-lane road without using a crosswalk, a common sight in the area. When asked why, he responded, "How long would it take to walk to that distant crosswalk?" The intersection, a three-way junction without traffic lights, connects a side street to a main road, creating a hazardous crossing point.

The area bustles with convenience stores, restaurants, and hair salons, but the nearest designated crosswalk is over 70 meters away. For seniors, this distance, combined with the need to walk back from the crosswalk to their destination, represents a significant and often impractical detour.

This disregard for designated crossings is frequent. An observation conducted with Jang Hyo-seok, a researcher at the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Transportation Safety Research Institute, revealed that about 50 people per hour were crossing the road at points other than crosswalks. The study, lasting two hours, found that approximately 90% of these jaywalkers were elderly. While younger individuals might move faster, the data underscores a critical infrastructure gap for the aging population in this neighborhood.

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How long would it take to walk to that distant crosswalk?