Parking in Vienna

Smallest district has lost 170 parking spaces

Finding a parking space in Josefstadt is no walk in the park.

(Bild: Bartel Gerhard)

The city is becoming more climate-friendly, automatically declaring war on cars. An overview of the parking situation.

We've all been there: circling the block for hours until you finally find a free parking space. A daily occurrence in some areas of Vienna.

An issue on which the FPÖ likes to make itself heard. The parking situation in the inner districts, especially in Vienna's smallest district, Josefstadt, stands out in particular. "Josefstadt has already lost a total of 170 parking spaces in the past four years due to street redesigns, cycle lanes, tree planting and neighborhood oases," says traffic spokesman Toni Mahdalik (FPÖ). According to reports from residents, it sometimes took an hour or more to find a parking space. One thing is clear for the FPÖ: "Private transport in Vienna must not be allowed to go under, we need a holistic transport concept - especially for the small districts where parking spaces are absolutely essential."

Former parking spaces become cycle paths and green spaces
The city has a completely different view of the situation: "The expansion of the area-wide parking sticker has significantly reduced both car commuter traffic and traffic looking for parking spaces," according to the office of Transport Councillor Ulli Sima (SPÖ). The areas freed up as a result are used for unsealing, greening and cycle paths. No statistics are kept on abandoned parking spaces. It is also emphasized: "Private car ownership in Vienna is declining, there are more annual pass holders than registered cars. 42 percent of households do not own a car."