Gimpo to end students' 'commute war' with new village bus route serving Modam schools

Students at elementary and middle schools in Gimpo's Unyang-dong and Janggi-dong neighborhoods are set to see a long-standing commuting hardship resolved.

A new village bus route will run directly past their schools, ending the need for students to walk a significant distance each day.

Gimpo City announced Thursday that it will restructure existing village bus route 36 and launch a new circular route, 36A, connecting directly to the schools — fulfilling a campaign pledge from the current administration to create student-tailored village bus routes.

The project is the first transportation policy Mayor Lee Gi-hyeong approved after taking office and the first of his transit campaign pledges aimed at ensuring safe commutes for students.

Until now, students at Modam Elementary and Middle Schools had no bus service stopping at their schools, forcing them to disembark at a stop near Gimpo First High School and walk roughly 500 meters to reach campus.

The route passes through a stretch of heavy vehicle traffic, and parents had consistently raised safety concerns about the walk.

The new route 36A will stop directly at the "Modam Elementary and Middle School (Seongchang Apartment)" stop, to be installed near the school's main gate.

Students will be able to board and alight right in front of the school, which the city expects will significantly cut commute times and improve pedestrian safety.

Gimpo City will keep the three vehicles currently operating on route 36 and add one more, bringing the total fleet to four.

The existing route will increase its daily runs from 52 to 55, while the new 36A route will operate 16 separate runs per day, boosting overall student transport capacity.

Service patterns will also shift to center on students. During the morning rush from 8 to 9 a.m. and the afternoon dismissal window from 3 to 5 p.m., the city will sharply reduce headways to concentrate service. By separating peak commuter hours from school arrival and departure times, the city expects to ease the crowding that previously occurred when office commuters and students converged on buses at the same time.

The city also anticipates that improved public transit access to the school gate will reduce the number of parents driving their children, helping to ease traffic congestion in the school zone and prevent accidents involving children.

The city plans to complete public consultations and related administrative procedures this month, finish installing the new stop and upgrading traffic safety infrastructure, and launch route 36A in time for the start of the second semester in August.

"Resolving the long-standing commuting difficulties students have faced was our top transportation priority," Mayor Lee said. "We will continue to expand student-centered public transit services in cooperation with the district education office, police and other relevant agencies to create a safe commuting environment where children can travel to and from school with peace of mind."