Vienna has for years claimed victory or at least a podium place in studies on quality of life. Not quite as successful was the federal capital in an international study on child-friendly mobility. Vienna is not found among the top ranks, as the mobility organization VCÖ reported on Wednesday. There is room for improvement, according to the report, in areas such as speed limits and cycling infrastructure.
In the study published by the European umbrella organization of the VCÖ, Transport Environment (TE), on child-friendly traffic infrastructure, Vienna ranks 13th out of a total of 36 cities examined. On the podium are Paris, Amsterdam, and Antwerp. In the French capital, for example, a speed limit of 30 km/h or less already applies to 89 percent of the road network.
London leader in school streets
The share of physically separated bike paths in the French capital is 48 percent of the road network. London also scored in a subcategory: the city has, according to the study, the highest share of school streets near elementary schools. 27 percent of all schools have such a street.
“Children should be the benchmark for transport planning in our cities. Where children can be mobile safely and independently, traffic safety is high for everyone,” emphasized Katharina Jaschinsky of the VCÖ in a statement. The club definitely sees a need for Vienna to catch up. This applies, for example, to the 30 km/h zones. In this category, Vienna is in 11th place, with 63 percent of all roads, it is said.
Room to catch up in bike lanes
In Vienna, the share of physically separated bike lanes is only 14 percent of the entire road network, it is criticized. In the top cities Paris and Helsinki, the share is 48 percent—more than three times as high. In Copenhagen, it is still 43 percent, and in Munich 37 percent, it is pointed out.
A similar picture appears, according to VCÖ, in measures around schools. Vienna ranks 16th in school streets near elementary schools, with around three percent, it was reported.
“The way to school is an opportunity for children to regularly get a dose of healthy movement. Especially in a time when lack of exercise is an increasing problem, transport planning should create conditions that allow children and young people to cover more everyday routes on foot or by bicycle,” said Jaschinsky.
