According to statements made by the City of Vienna, greenhouse emissions are set to be reduced by 35% per person by 2030, and 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). In order to reach this goal, a change in the mobile traffic sector is necessary. Mobility options which are free of CO2 emissions (pedestrians and cyclists) are to be encouraged, the high proportion of public transport is to be maintained, and individual motorised traffic is to be reduced to 20% by 2025. By 2030, a further reduction to 15% is planned, which constitutes a near halving compared to today. By 2050, the percentage is meant to lie below 15%. These target values all apply to traffic by Viennese citizens within the city borders.
Facts
Public transport in Vienna accounts for only 5 to 6 % of the energy usage of the entire mobility sector. At the same time, transport service is about as high as that of individual motorised traffic, and is thus far more energy efficient. In addition, about three-quarters of the energy consumption for public transportation is provided by electricity generated from hydropower and cogeneration of heat and power. Thus the CO2 balance is only minorly affected. According to ‘Wien in Zahlen‘, a publication by the city of Vienna from July 2015, the number of passenger cars grew from 679,492 to 683,258 between 2012 and 2014. This is not in accord with the aim of a drastic reduction of individual motorised traffic. On the other hand, the registration of new cars sank from 69,046 in 2012 to 67,256 in 2014. Based on these contrasting figures, it can be deduced that within this time period, less cars were de-registered than new ones were registered. In addition, the density of cars per inhabitant sank from 390.2 in 2012 to 385.7 in 2013 and 380.2 in 2014.
Vienna is thus a trailblazer in Austria, yet compared to other European capitals it only ranks averagely. Vienna’s cycle path network has grown yearly from 835km in 2000 to 1270km in 2014 (according to statistics by the City of Vienna). The number of bike racks has also grown between 2010 and 2014, from 9,588 to 36,917.
Planning
Vienna has set itself high aims for the coming years and wants to reach its ambitious goals by implementing a comprehensive package of measures. There are plans to shift a high percentage of drivers to public transport, non-motorised traffic modes or innovative means of transportation (e.g. electro mobility). By 2050 at the latest, the entire individual motorised traffic within the city is meant to function without any conventional power technology. These aims are supported by the research project ‘e-mobility on demand’. Public transport within the city borders is set to function with virtually no CO2 emissions by 2030. Passenger traffic outside the city borders will need 10% less energy by 2030, so the City of Vienna expects. Further, more space is destined for pedestrians and cyclists, street areas are to be converted for new uses, a road charge for trucks will be introduced, and gaps in the bike network will be closed and new cycle paths opened. By 2015, extensions of 18km on the tramway network and 12km on the metro tracks are planned. In addition, the city supports new car-sharing offers. Information services about various forms of mobility are equally improved. You can look up the complete package of measures in all action fields in STEP 2025 Master Plan Mobility in Vienna.
