Vienna: The new concept for transport and city planning

Country:	Austria
Type:	Policies, Concepts
Area:	Entire City
Actors:	Local Gov., Private
Funding:	Local Gov.
Topics:	Built environment
	Mobility
Objectives:	Increase non-motorised mobility
	Increase use of public transport
	Reduce car mobility
	Reduce car parks
	Reduce energy consumption
Instruments:

Abstract:

In 1993 the City of Vienna came forward with a new urban development plan and traffic concept. By 2010 the aim is to increase the share of public transport from 37% to 45%, while reducing the percentage of individual motorised car use from 37% to 35%. It is expected that such a policy can lead to a decrease in CO₂-emissions of up to 50%. For the first time the new Vienna transport management has been designed as an integrated planning approach. The new method can be regarded as an example of good practice for the following reasons:

• priority on improvement of the public transport system;
• inner city park space management;
• continuous promotion of bicycle use and walking;
• approach to balance the development of urban settlements and transport.

Concept and aims

In 1993 the City of Vienna adopted a new urban development plan and traffic concept. The basic idea is to change the current modal split of individual motorised traffic (37%), public transport (37%), walking (23%), and bicycle (3%). By the year 2010 the modal split should change to 25% individual motorised traffic, 45% public transport, 24% walking and 6% bicycle use. Such a policy would lead to a 50% CO₂ reduction in the transport sector. The following themes are regarded as essential for urban traffic policy in Vienna:

• cutting down traffic volume;
• shifting of traffic loads;
• improvement of the traffic situation;
• innovation;
• pricing structures that reflect the true cost of measures;
• new forms of financing.

In order to succeed, with this policy will require to implement two far-reaching strategies:

• Principle one is an integration of city planning and transport planning: In the first place "wild" settlement expansion has to be avoided. New housing and commercial development areas will be allocated along high-capacity public transport routes. This guideline will become more important in the next years as Vienna is experiencing a steady increase in population and housing demands. Due to the developments in neighbouring Slovenia and Hungary and the resulting migration, it is estimated that by 2011 the population will increase to approximately 1,700,000 which is an annual average increase of 10,000. In consequence the need for 7,000 to 10,000 new apartments is expected. The policy of new urban development will have to take into account the balanced distribution of urban functions.
• Principle two is shifting traffic to environmental modes of transport: in order to shift the volume of traffic the municipality had two options. Firstly, a change in structural city planning can serve the environmentally compatible means of transport, and secondly regulatory measures can aim to limit individual car use. Public transport has the greatest potential to contribute to an environmentally compatible transport system. The upgrading of the public transport infrastructure and the limitation of cars as a mode of commuting are the main elements of the new Vienna traffic strategy.

In order to increase the attractiveness of the public transport system it is planned to improve the services in the dense network of tram and bus routes. The following measures are intended:

• punctual and regular service on all lines by the creation of separate lanes and preferential traffic signals for public transport;
• shorter intervals in low-demand hours, improved scheduling, longer service hours during the night;
• increasing efficiency of the basic network (e.g. two-minute intervals on the main underground lines);
• extending routes in connection with urban projects;
• improvements in rolling stock;
• flexible operating modes (e.g. collective taxis in peripheral zones);
• improving subjective and social safety;
• improving the public image of the public service.

The limitation of individual car use and the promotion of walking and bicycle use should be achieved by the following measures:

• providing of multi-storey car parks for residents in order to gain public space on the road;
• gradually reducing parking space on the streets in order to promote bicycle use and walking;
• monitoring of the public parking space with a special control task force;
• additional park and ride facilities at the periphery and the environs of Vienna.

Implementation and impacts

The new Vienna transport concept is designed to treat non-motorised transport as a priority. The two pillars of this policy are the improvement of services in the non-motorised transport sector and a rethinking in the management of public spaces, especially car parking facilities and use of roads.

1. Public transport and bicycle infrastructure

The priority of measures in the public transport sector are on the upgrading of the existing network. In addition, the bicycle track network is being continuously improved:

• In 1995 the tramways operate a network of 163 km with 110 km of dedicated tram routes. Public transport has priority at more than 400 traffic signals.
• In 1997 the tram service will reach a new dimension as the first ultra-low-floor rolling stock will be operated. The newly developed computer-controlled single-wheel suspension system permits a boarding of less than 15 centimetres above ground. The design has been developed by Porsche and it is expected that the new system will contribute to a new public image of the tram as had been the case in other European cities (e.g. Karlsruhe, Strasbourg).
• In 1995 a network of 22 night bus routes has been put into operation. Currently, there are 23 km of separate bus lanes.
• In the area of P+R facilities the current number of 3,344 urban parking spaces along the underground system and 9,800 parking spaces in the environs of Vienna will be raised to 11,000 in the urban area and 20,000 in the environs.
• Until 1993 the bicycle network has been extended to 503 km which is twice the length it had in 1987. It is expected that due to the impacts of car parking management, and an upgrading of the bicycle infrastructure, the share of bicycles can be doubled within the next years from 3% to 6%. A central idea of the new bicycle network has been already implemented as three new cycle tracks have been created through the inner city.
• The pro-bicycle policy has been accompanied by a limitation of the car speed to 30 kph within the inner city area. Another novelty in the Vienna cycle track network is the introduction of so- called "multi-purpose lanes" at crossings which can be used by wide vehicles (e.g. lorries or buses), but offer priority to cyclists in the first place.

2. Parking space management

The parking management is the second pillar of the new Vienna transport concept. In July 1993 the first municipal district of Vienna was transformed into a pilot area for a parking space management concept. This district has approximately 20,000 inhabitants and 130,000 workplaces. Parking restrictions had been enacted for an area of 10 square kilometres in the city centre. In the whole area on-street parking is restricted to a maximum duration of 1.5 hours in the central district and 2 hours in the wider area. The parking fee is 12 Austrian schilling per hour. There are special permits for residents which costs 1,940 Austrian schillings per year. Furthermore approximately 600 special permits are granted to shop owners and their employees for the weekdays between 9 A.M. and 7 P.M. The inner city area has also become a 30 kph zone.

In 1995 the total car traffic volume had been reduced by an average of 10% (in peak hours the incoming traffic has even decreased by 15%), occupying of parking spaces decreased by one third, and the number of parking offences had dropped by two thirds. Although there had been local protest against the parking space management at the time of its introduction, later on it has been widely accepted. Surveys revealed 89% positive reaction. The results encouraged the city to enlarge the parking space management to all inner city districts.

Source of Information

Klotz, Arnold 1993: Stadtentwicklung und Verkehr in Wien, in: EA.UE, (ed.), Umweltgerechte Stadtentwicklung und Verkehr in Budapest, Berlin, S. 22-25

Klotz, Arnold 1994: Verkehrskonzept und Stadtentwicklung in Wien, in: Klima-Bündnis / Alianza del clima, (Hg.), Klimaschutz durch Verkehrsvemeidung. Handlungsansätze auf kommunaler und regionaler Ebene, Frankfurt/M, S. 215-224

Klotz, Arnold 1994: Ein neues Verkehrskonzept für Wien, in: Perspektiven, Nr.8, S. 3-14

Rosinak, Werner 1994: Das generelle Maßnahmenprogramm zum neuen Wiener Verkehrskonzept, in: Perspektiven, Nr.8, S. 15-36

Municipal Administration of the City of Vienna - Urban Planning, (ed.) 1994: Traffic in Vienna, Vienna

Municipal Administration of the City of Vienna - Urban Planning, (ed.) 1995: Urban Development Plan Vienna. The New Traffic Concept, Vienna

Gielge, Johannes 1995: Changing modal split in Vienna, in: EA.UE, (ed.), Environmentally compatible transport and traffic, Berlin, S. 48-51

Contact:

Cities:

Vienna :

The City of Vienna has a population of 1,642,000 and the conurbation has a population of approximately 2,500,000. The city covers an area of 415 square kilometres. There are approximately 790,000 workplaces in the City of Vienna. Vienna is the site of OPEC and a major finance centre. The main industries are engineering, electrical and chemical industry, as well as textiles and food processing industry.

Population:

Project was added at 28.06.96
Project was changed at 08.08.97