Vienna to reduce car traffic

Trips taken on public transport, by bike or on foot will account for 80% of all trips made in Vienna by 2025 if the city’s Urban Development Plan goes through as planned.

The announcement was made by Vice Mayor Maria Vassilakou (Green) on Wednesday, who emphasised that traffic was a key feature of the plan to develop the capital city.

Currently 39% of people travel by public transport and 28% go by foot. Despite many initiatives to promote cycling, it accounts for only slightly more than 6% of total trips.

The Mayor’s office in Vienna also hope to see the percentage of all trips taken by car reduce from 27% to 20%. This would amount to around 140,000 people in the city, which has a population of nearly 2 million, giving up a day using the car.

The emphasis on traffic control is in part a response to the growing population in the city – Vienna grew by 30,000 people last year. Experts say that the city’s roads will not take any more vehicles as the streets are already so busy.

Urban development plans for the city could also include a new U-bahn line, U5, which would run from the west of the city into Karlplatz. A decision is expected to be made later this year on whether construction should begin on the new line.