By 2.64 million euros

170 Upper Austrian municipalities promote cycling

Provincial Councillor Günther Steinkellner is committed to more cycling mobility

(Bild: Land OÖ/Daniel Kauder)

Cycling is better for the climate than accelerating - everyone in Upper Austria agrees on this. The RadFahr advisory service plays an important role here: it offers a free advisory service to promote everyday cycling. However, environmentalists criticize this as insufficient, too slow and lacking concrete measures.

FahrRad Beratung Oberösterreich is a free advisory service to promote everyday cycling for municipalities and regions in Upper Austria. "I am delighted that 170 municipalities and towns, as well as 20 regions, have already taken advantage of this advice," said Günther Steinkellner (FPÖ), Provincial Councillor for Infrastructure.

2.64 million euros made available
The state's cycling commissioner, Dorian Vavti, is also satisfied: "Cycling should play a central role in the mobility mix of the future, for better health, road safety and quality of life." To date, the province of Upper Austria has provided around 2.64 million euros for the consultation and the Wels Umland model cycling region sub-project. 

Cycling situation improved by 73 percent
The consultation begins with a kick-off workshop and a local inspection by bicycle. This is followed by two further workshops to develop an implementation plan with measures in the areas of infrastructure, framework conditions and awareness-raising. According to a survey, 95 percent of the participating municipalities have implemented the measures and 73 percent have improved their cycling situation since taking part.

Much greater increases needed
Environmentalists, on the other hand, emphasize that this development is far too slow. In order to meet the climate target of reducing CO₂ emissions by 33 percent by 2030, 20 percent fewer daily MIT (motorized private transport) trips would have to take place by then. By contrast, journeys made by public transport and bicycle would have to increase by 115 and 125 percent respectively, i.e. more than double. Walking trips would also have to increase by a fifth. 

Currently almost impossible
However, these changes are almost impossible under the current conditions, emphasizes Lukas Beurle, engineering consultant for civil engineering and deputy chairman of the Upper Austrian Cycling Lobby.

Suggestions for improvement
The Initiative for Sustainable Mobility and Mirko Javurek from Scientists for Future are therefore not just calling for politicians to pay lip service, but for awareness campaigns, making public transport more attractive and significantly faster promotion of cycling instead of building new roads and highways. The climate activists are also calling for faster coverage of as many local communities as possible, more budget to remove problem areas and more autonomous decision-making by the communities, such as speed limits. "In this way, the advisory tool could quickly become a solution and implementation tool!", said Javurek and Beurle in unison.