Street racing, parties

Residents of the Kurpark can’t rest

The plagued residents of Filmteichstrasse want peace and quiet at last.

(Bild: Kathi Mötzl)

A cry for help from residents in Filmteichstraße in Favoriten: Howling engines, late-night drinking parties and piles of garbage are causing trouble. We were there to take a look at the situation.

The northern entrance at Kurpark Oberlaa is actually part of the beautiful part of Favoriten. But thanks to the roadrunner scene, the idyllic scene is over. Some measures have already been taken to get the problem under control. Concrete barriers have been erected and parking spaces have been closed off.

Thick, black tire tracks once again bear witness to a wild night. The concrete barriers only help to a limited extent.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Kathi Mötzl)

Although this has slowed down the extreme speeders a little, races with roaring engines and screeching tires continue to take place. "We recently saw a car doing 44 laps of the parking lot," says Hubert Bauer during a Krone inspection. At peak times, he has counted 100 to 150 cars. These generate a corresponding amount of noise. "Even when it's 30 degrees outside, I can't open the window," says Silvia Swoboda.

We can't sleep, young women have to be afraid when they're out and about here at night. Tougher punishments are needed.

Hubert Bauer

Bild: Hubert Bauer

In summer, the young people hang around the parking lot day and night with camping chairs they've brought with them. They party loudly at night. "We can't let young people use the street as a playground," says the 66-year-old. The amount of garbage is also a problem.

Aggressive young people, not enough police"
 "When we try to talk to the young people, we get insulted," reports another resident. The police receive numerous calls, especially at the weekend. "A patrol car doesn't always come because there aren't enough police officers. That's a general problem," says Bauer. However, the police can't do much anyway because the young people are well connected and inform each other when an emergency vehicle is approaching.

Facts

Residents have counted 150 cars on Filmteichstraße at peak times. This is despite the fact that 550 parking spaces have already been blocked.

On June 21, however, there was a large-scale operation including a Wega deployment. "Young people were shooting around with a gun," reports the 44-year-old. In retrospect, it turned out to be a soft gun. For local residents, this is further proof of how out of control the situation has become. The police say: "There are daily checks by the local police inspectorate, several times a month the city police command carries out traffic plan squares, and large focus areas take place at regular intervals. The municipal police command is in contact with affected citizens to obtain feedback on the measures taken so far."

Young people unpack their camping chairs in the parking lot.

(Bild: Kathi Mötzl, Krone KREATIV)

Residents demand night-time driving ban
These measures are not enough for the residents. Speed bumps and a night-time driving ban are needed to finally bring peace and quiet to Filmteichstraße. The driving ban was promised to residents by the district and the city last year, but it has not yet been implemented (see article on the left).Young woman parks three streets away out of fearThe fact is that the situation is unacceptable for residents. "I park my car an extra three streets away, I don't dare cross the parking lot in the evening," says Jenny M. Even the bus drivers are afraid, say local residents. "A policeman said to me recently that if I didn't like it, I should just move away," says Silvia Swoboda. But that really is going too far.

Driving ban would not be an "obstacle"
 According to the City of Vienna, the speeding scene on Filmteichstraße has been successfully curbed together with the police and targeted construction measures. In the first half of 2024, a total of 1036 vehicles were checked by the police and the provincial vehicle inspection authority during night-time spot checks from January to June inclusive.

A risk of imminent danger was detected 356 times and the license plate was taken on site accordingly. The police cannot answer how many reports were issued, because "due to the large number of actions, there are no statistics on reports." There is also no evaluation of the calls from residents.

And what does the city say about a (promised) night-time driving ban? "A driving ban from 10 p.m. was examined, but the introduction of a night-time driving ban in Filmteichstraße from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. would also affect local residents and would therefore result in significant restrictions for businesses as well as for a hotel. It would still be possible to enter shortly before 10 p.m. and leave at a later time, which is why such a measure would not be an effective obstacle to night-time gatherings of young people," it says.