Exciting intersections

These are the most absurd traffic lights in Vienna

If you want to reach the opposite sidewalk at Heiligenstädter Brücke during the green phase, you almost have to start sprinting. You only have less than eight seconds to do so.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Martin Jöchl)

Green phases that are far too short annoy pedestrians and pose a danger to pedestrians. There are quite a few of these agitating intersections in Vienna - we have the most absurd ones for you here. 

Who hasn't experienced it? As a pedestrian, you're waiting at traffic lights, the light turns green and you try to cross to the other side of the road. But what if the green phase is too short to cross the road?

Like at Brigittenauer Lände/corner of Heiligenstädter Brücke, right next to the "Krone" editorial office in Döbling. The green phase lasts a measured 7.7 (!) seconds. Then the traffic lights are already flashing.

The corner of Schwarzenbergplatz on Kärntner Ring in the city center is also notorious. The green phase here is also far too short at 10.5 seconds. Crossing here quickly becomes an obstacle course. The same applies to the traffic lights at Nordbahnstraße/Bruno-Marek-Allee.

The green phase at Schwarzenbergplatz/corner of Kärntner Ring is far too short.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin/Martin Jöchl)

Stress and negative interactions between pedestrians and drivers are thus regularly pre-programmed. Senior citizens, children and people with walking disabilities in particular suffer from the sometimes absurd traffic lights. 

There are also several affected intersections in Donaustadt where pedestrians clearly have priority, reports FPÖ local councillor Toni Mahdalik. For example at Groß Enzersdorfer Straße/Haberlantgasse. A corner with a lot of pedestrian traffic. "If you cross too late, life punishes you," complains the Freedom Party member.

Crossing the junction on red to catch the bus
However, the pedestrian lights do not automatically turn green with the flow of traffic. In particular, people trying to get to the bus stop for bus routes 97A and 26A often cross at red in order to catch the bus quickly.

Local councillor Toni Mahdalik (FPÖ) at Groß Enzersdorfer Straße. Pedestrians are told to "please wait" here.

(Bild: FPÖ Wien/Toni Mahdalik)

The VCÖ (Verkehrsclub Österreich) is also aware of the problem. Unfortunately, too little consideration is often given to elderly people or people with limited mobility at pedestrian traffic lights, they say. Too long red phases or too short green phases are a frequent problem at pedestrian lights.

A person with limited mobility needs 19 seconds to cross
"For pedestrians, traffic lights often mean long waiting times. While red phases are very long, green phases are often too short," says VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky. Studies have shown that a person with a severe mobility impairment needs 19 seconds, almost four times as long as a young person.

Too little consideration is given to the slower walking speed of older people, for example.

VCÖ-Expertin Katharina Jaschinsky

If the pedestrian lights change from green to red while crossing, pedestrians are allowed to continue crossing the road (section 76, paragraph 3 of the German Road Traffic Regulations), but this is a very stressful situation for older people in particular. "In addition, if there is a safety island, pedestrians are only allowed to walk to it, which means that pedestrians are exposed to exhaust fumes, and waiting on a safety island is anything but pleasant, especially for parents with small children," says the VCÖ expert.  

14 seconds

While a young person crosses a three-lane road at a fast pace in just over five seconds, an older person or a person with a small child needs around 14 seconds, almost three times as long.

Since 2022, the Road Traffic Act has explicitly stated that traffic lights must take into account the "needs of pedestrians to be able to cross after a short waiting time and without haste". Accordingly, longer green phases and shorter red phases must be implemented at pedestrian traffic lights and older senior citizens must also be taken into consideration, emphasizes the mobility organization VCÖ.

Beauftragte für Fußverkehr

Wofür gibt es Sie, Frau Petra Jens?

"Krone": Ms. Jens, you have been Vienna's pedestrian officer for twelve years. Why are some traffic lights green for pedestrians for such a short time?
Petra Jens: Traffic lights are a classic complaint. We keep getting complaints that green phases are too short. There is also a so-called clearance phase. After the green light flashes, pedestrians have red, but this phase allows them to finish crossing the road in peace.

Petra Jens has been the City of Vienna's official pedestrian officer since 2012.

(Bild: Mobilitätsagentur/Regina Hügli)

How many complaints do you receive each year?
We at the Mobility Agency receive between 50 and 150 reports per year.

Many Viennese wonder why your job exists at all. Why do people hear so little about you in public?
I can't quite understand that. I probably give one interview a week. I may not always appear by name. But we are constantly communicating on the subject of walking.

Do you also know a "problem traffic light"? Then write to us at Kronen Zeitung, Muthgasse 2, 1190 Vienna, Vienna editorial office or by e-mail to [e-mail]