Since the Vienna Belt just got by with three lanes of traffic due to a construction site over the summer, bicycle lobbyists are now demanding the abolition of one lane. In any case, the mobility agency does not rule out the radical proposal.
The busy belt connects a total of 17 city districts in its function as a boundary between the inner and outer districts of the city. And with a total of eleven kilometers it is, next to the Ring, also one of the most important main bicycle routes in Vienna. But there have been complaints about the Belt Bicycle Route for years and interest groups are constantly calling for improvement. A current construction site on the Neubaubelt has now prompted the Radlobby Wien to bring a radical idea into play: the removal of one of the four lanes in total!
“For two weeks you have seen at Westbahnhof that three lanes are also sufficient during rush hour and that a bicycle path is feasible here,” says cycling lobbyist Roland Romano. It does not seem to matter that it is still a holiday and that there are of course fewer cars on the road during rush hour. In this case, the city would be threatened with daily traffic jams.
The association calls on the city of Vienna to include this gap in the main bicycle route in the construction program for 2023. The mobility agency did not respond to a “Krone” request with an immediate denial: “A gap in the bicycle network is currently being closed on the Währinger Belt in the ninth district.In the near future, other parts such as Schelleingasse on the Wieden or the Döblinger Gurtel will be expanded for bicycles.”
This year 44 bicycle projects will be processed
The more than 44 projects of this year’s bicycle traffic building program are currently being worked on step by step. It is therefore not yet possible to make statements about individual projects. Last Friday the bike demo “Gürtel Bike Ride” took place. From now on, there are even monthly demonstrations for a bicycle highway.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
