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Analyzing the Effect of Social Distancing Policies on Traffic at Sinchon Station, South Korea, during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021

Author

Listed:
  • Nam-gun Kim

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Hyeri Jang

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Seungkeun Noh

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Ju-hee Hong

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Jongsoon Jung

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Jinho Shin

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Yongseung Shin

    (Seoul Metropolitan Government Research Institute of Public Health and Environment, Seoul 13818, Korea)

  • Jongseong Kim

    (Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic is recognized as one of the most serious global health problems, and many countries implemented lockdown measures to mitigate the effects of the crisis caused by this respiratory infectious disease. In this study, we investigated the relationship between social distancing policies and changes in traffic volume in Sinchon Station, South Korea. We used an official COVID-19 report provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) and Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) to review social distancing policies, and the changes in traffic patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 and November 2021 were analyzed. Our study reveals that the changes in the overall traffic patterns from acceleration phases to deceleration phases of COVID-19 were related to the alert levels of social distancing policies implemented to tackle the situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Herein, we found that a significant decline in traffic volume took place from August to September 2020 (13.5–19.7%, weekday; 19.4–31.7%, weekend), from December 2020 to January 2021 (20.0%−26.6%, weekday; 26.8–34.0%, weekend), and from July to September 2021 (3.2–13.1%, weekday; 38.3–44.7%, weekend) when compared to the corresponding periods in 2019 (paired t -test; p < 0.001). The results of this study provide strong support for the effectiveness of Seoul’s preemptive measures, namely, the central government’s intensive social distancing campaign, in managing and reducing the impact of the pandemic situation based on the precise analysis of 10 types of facilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Nam-gun Kim & Hyeri Jang & Seungkeun Noh & Ju-hee Hong & Jongsoon Jung & Jinho Shin & Yongseung Shin & Jongseong Kim, 2022. "Analyzing the Effect of Social Distancing Policies on Traffic at Sinchon Station, South Korea, during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 and 2021," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8535-:d:861389
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sang M. Lee & DonHee Lee, 2020. "Lessons Learned from Battling COVID-19: The Korean Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Lee, Munseob & Finerman, Rachel, 2021. "COVID-19, commuting flows, and air quality," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    3. Andersson, Ola & Campos-Mercade, Pol & Meier, Armando N. & Wengström, Erik, 2020. "Anticipation of COVID-19 Vaccines Reduces Social Distancing," Working Papers 2020:29, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    4. Brodeur, Abel & Cook, Nikolai & Wright, Taylor, 2021. "On the effects of COVID-19 safer-at-home policies on social distancing, car crashes and pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Li, Tingting & Guo, Youming, 2022. "Modeling and optimal control of mutated COVID-19 (Delta strain) with imperfect vaccination," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Dong-Gyun Ku & Jung-Sik Um & Young-Ji Byon & Joo-Young Kim & Seung-Jae Lee, 2021. "Changes in Passengers’ Travel Behavior Due to COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-16, July.
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