Local residents want a solution

High school still stuck in traffic jam during planning

If access is via the northern part of the school, the residents of the estate are worried: "The traffic circle alone can't cope."

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

It's like a "Gordian knot" that is currently not only causing concern among residents in Gerasdorf who live near the planned grammar school, but is also challenging the municipality: As there were apparently mistakes in the run-up to the project, the traffic concept is currently in a quandary, as citizens of the district are now warning.

"It's like an avalanche that was set off by former mayor Alexander Vojta and to which we are at the mercy of." - Alexander Keber is a resident of a housing estate that borders the planned school building on the edge of Gerasdorf. The 55-year-old is the spokesperson for residents there who are warning of potential traffic chaos: "We know that there were mistakes during the preliminary planning stage and there is now a question as to whether the access road should be on the school side of our estate after all," says the Gerasdorf resident. He criticized the fact that no concrete information about the current status could be obtained from the municipality.

"Detailed site plan presentation was far too early"
"The worst mistake was probably to present the exact site plan even before a traffic route solution outside the residential areas was in the bag. Now landowners are either not selling or want their fields 'gold-plated'," complains another resident. "We've lived in this estate for 26 years - and now a grammar school is being put in front of us. Curious: apparently not even the access situation has been clarified, as we have been told."

Traffic concept available, as of March 2023
According to the underlying traffic concept, which is available to Krone, high traffic flows via motor vehicles are to be expected: 

"For motorized individual traffic, a traffic volume of around 60 motor vehicles/h can be assumed in the morning peak hour (7 to 8 a.m.). In the period from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., the afternoon peak is expected to be around 30 vehicles per hour. The results (...) are approximate values that may vary depending on the weather."

The plan presented at the end of 2023 in detail. It now plays into the hands of property owners with outstanding contracts (access would be planned in the south), it is said.

(Bild: Gemeinde Gerasdorf)

As kindergarten, assisted living and the Red Cross are also located in the vicinity, the alternative access road on the city side of the high school with 900 pupils would inevitably lead to local traffic congestion, fear affected residents.

We are not against a grammar school. However, serious mistakes were made in the run-up to the project - and now we are faced with a very awkward situation.

Anrainersprecher Alexander Keber fordert Infos zum Projektstand

Bild: privat

Mayor strives for a solution, but does not want to "give anything away"
It is not only the residents who find themselves in a tricky, uncertain situation, Mayor Hans Jürgen Peitzmeier also has a lot to do to untie the "Gordian knot". Having only been in office since January, he regrets to the "Krone" newspaper: "Unfortunately, I can't say anything about my predecessor's project, especially regarding the approach to further traffic planning - it would only have a negative impact on the situation regarding solutions at the moment."

However, it is too late for another school location, which many have called for: "That is out of the question!"