Whether Hietzing or Liesing, the first effect of the comprehensive parking space management was somewhat astounding for residents. Where otherwise bumper to bumper lined up and on weekdays during the day there was hardly a parking space to be found, the streets are now clearly “emptied”. The city of Vienna also confirms this impression.
“I was lucky – that’s not a ticket”
“Due to the fact that significantly fewer commuters now come to Vienna by car, the overall volume of traffic in the city is drastically reduced. It is now easier for residents to find a parking space, and the remaining newly gained space offers room for redesign,” said Transport Councilor Ulli Sima (SPÖ).
Experiences from previous picker extensions in recent years show that up to 30 percent fewer cars are parked in the districts and traffic is generally declining – with the much smaller western extension there were around 8,000 fewer car journeys per day after the introduction of the pickerl, according to a broadcast the city.
A sense of proportion was used, not punished immediately, but informed. In the first few days, warnings were issued with the note “You were lucky, that’s NOT a ticket” and the offense and the simple option of applying for the sticker online were pointed out “with a wink”. But the clarification phase is now over. With status today 122,600 sticker applications have been made in the new sticker districts.
Plenty of space in new parking sticker districts
Many free parking spaces and significantly more users of park-and-ride facilities: This is the first result in Vienna a few days after the parking sticker was extended. The question arises: What to do with the gained space?
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New greenery possible
According to the city, the area gained by the parking sticker also opens up the possibility of new greening measures or the construction of new cycle paths. In addition, the number of illegal parkers would also decrease, which would further increase the flow of traffic and prevent obstructions to public transport. The income from parking space management will flow into the expansion of public transport, it was said in conclusion.
A quarter more cars in park-and-ride garages
Commuters apparently storm the parking garages for this. In the garages of the municipal WIPARK there are about a quarter more cars than usual. The increase has come from short-term parkers – there were already no more spaces for long-term parkers.
It is still uncertain how long the trend towards garage parking will last. In the case of previous expansions, it has been seen that after an initial rush, interest falls because commuters are looking for alternative routes and means of travel.
ÖVP locates problems in numerous districts
The Viennese ÖVP sees no reason to celebrate. Instead, an “outdated system from the 1990s was extended to the whole of Vienna, contrary to what was agreed in the government agreement,” said the designated state party chairman Karl Mahrer. Businesses in metropolitan areas that don’t have private parking would have a problem with employees who don’t live in the area.
“The same thing happened to an innkeeper from Essling who had already received notices from employees. He also fears losing his customers to restaurants in nearby Lower Austria,” lists the ÖVP broadcast. Problems can also be seen in the outskirts of Penzing and Liesing, where there was no need for short-term parking zones.
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