Cycling is dangerous. Especially when cyclists have to share traffic areas with two-lane road users. Cyclists are unprotected, significantly slower and inferior to cars in all respects. The safest way from A to B on a bicycle is therefore your own cycle path. But this cost money and cannot be implemented everywhere. For two and a half years, the cycling representatives, the “Radlobby Klosterneuburg” and the “Tulln-Klosterneuburg Traffic Transition” have been wanting one from St. Andra-Wördern to Maria Gugging. So far without success. They have now submitted a list of signatures to document the desire for this cycle path from the citizens of this region. 1,430 signatures impressively support this.
On November 15th, Verkehrswende Tulln-Klosterneuburg (TUKG) and Radlobby Klosterneuburg presented 1,430 signatures for the construction of a (walking and) cycle path in Hagental to Mayor Maximilian Titz (St. Andrä-Wördern) and Transport City Councilor Stefan Hehberger (Klosterneuburg). The problem: There is a 4.5 kilometer gap in the cycle route network between Maria Gugging and St. Andrä. The Kierlingtal cycle route from Klosterneuburg ends shortly before the Maria Gugging parish church. From there, cyclists in the direction of St. Andrä-Wördern have to use the B14, which has a traffic volume of around 8,000 vehicles per day (2019 traffic survey).
“Two and a half years ago, Verkehrswende Tulln-Klosterneuburg (TUKG) and Radlobby Klosterneuburg confronted local politicians with the dangerous situation for cyclists between St. Andrä-Wördern and Maria Gugging. The response from local politicians to the proposal for a Hagental cycle path was definitely positive,” says Werner Palfinger from the cycle lobby. But words have not yet been followed by actions. The two initiatives therefore collected signatures to support their concerns. 1,430 people signed the petition, around three quarters of them from the two communities.
“We are making an urgent request to the two communities of St. Andrä-Wördern and Klosterneuburg to commission a feasibility study for a Hagental cycle path and to take further steps together to ensure a safe connection between St. Andrä-Wördern and Maria Gugging for cyclists To enable cyclists and pedestrians,” the petition says.
At 100 km/h in mixed traffic
The distance between St. Andrä-Wördern and Maria Gugging on the B14 is just 2.3 kilometers, “which would actually be an ideal cycling distance. Nevertheless, it is currently hardly reasonable to cover it by bike,” says Eva Seibold from Verkehrswende. This is less due to the gradient – the spread of e-bikes makes the route manageable for everyone – but rather because this connection between the neighboring towns is simply too dangerous. There would be no direct alternative option for cyclists. Only the up to 15 kilometer longer detour via Klosterneuburg and the Danube cycle path.
“Cyclists have to drive in mixed traffic with a speed limit of 100 and high traffic volumes with an average of 8,000 motor vehicles every day. Extremely dangerous overtaking maneuvers occur every day in which the legally required minimum overtaking distance to the bike of two meters outside of urban areas is significantly exceeded. Barrier lines are ignored,” says Robert Koch from the bike lobby. The route is de facto not passable with children. Popular excursion destinations such as the Hagenbachklamm or the Lourdes Grotto are currently only easily accessible by car. This is also damaging to tourism and gastronomy. A detour from the Danube cycle path into the “hinterland” cannot currently be recommended to cycle tourists in good conscience.
A petition from the TUKG traffic turnaround and the market town of St. Andrä-Wördern to the district administration to reduce the maximum speed to 70 km/h was also unsuccessful. “It is shocking that the safety of people who are actively moving does not seem to play a role for the authorities,” explains Eva Seibold from the TUKG.
“So do we really have to wait for cyclists to be seriously injured or even killed before politicians and administration take action?” Werner Palfinger, spokesman for the Klosterneuburg cycling lobby, is also horrified. If you as an employee want to commute on this route in a climate-friendly way, you would be putting your life in danger every day.
It’s because of the pre-financing
If the two cycling institutions have their way, money shouldn’t fail. For the planning and construction of the Hagental cycle path, St. Andrä-Wördern could receive 70 percent state funding and Klosterneuburg 60 percent. The federal government’s klimaaktiv mobil action program offers up to 50 percent funding. Funds from the federal government’s municipal investment program (KIP) may also be used for cycling infrastructure.
“Our municipal treasury is empty,” said Mayor Maximilien Titz of St. Andrä-Wördern, who generally shows great understanding for the issue. The municipalities’ financial situation is so tight that it is out of the question to invest budget funds in this project. Even if generously funded, the municipalities have to pre-finance the cycle path project. “Cycle path funding is only paid out to communities after years of delay,” explains Titz. When the signatures were handed over, it was possible to agree on the commissioning of a feasibility study, which could possibly be included in the budget supplements in February/March. Cycling planning is service planning: first the infrastructure has to be built, then people will use it.
“We would have liked to have brought both ÖVP mayors together at the table during the handover of the signatures to talk about the matter. We very much regret that no one from the Klosterneuburg ÖVP was present when the petition was presented, even though they provide four of the eight members of the transport committee,” said Palfinger. PUK Transport City Councilor Stefan Hehberger and NEOS City Councilor Clemens Ableidinger took over the 1,430 signatures for Klosterneuburg.
