Spot the Traffic Light.

Please send your answers to: bike_infrastrucuture@VeloCity.at

Bike Boxes

Advanced stop lines (ASL) or Bike boxes look like a good idea because they give the cyclist pole position.  However they do not work very well and they are a 1970s Dutch idea that the Dutch are phasing out and replacing with better solutions for good reason.

Why do they not work?

They create conflict with motor vehicles encouraging cyclist to filter past a queue of frustrated stationary vehicles and stand in front of them.  When the lights change cyclists then have to race off in front of the vehicles who try to then overtake them.  This leads to conflict.  A lot of drivers position themselves in the box to stop this conflict happening which aggravates the situation even more.  They also encourage a lot of cyclists to filter when, for their own safety, they really should not:

Advanced riders in the UK (where there are a lot of ASLs) decide to use them based of some well developed logic.  The danger of large trucks to cyclists means if you do not have a good understanding of that logic you could easily be then next victim to die a very horrible death.

So they are not good for inexperienced cyclists and they are not particularly good for experienced cyclists. Who are they good for?  I worry that they are good for politicians, incompetent traffic planners and frustrated cyclist groups who like and need cheap quick paint on solutions that look like a good idea and can be marketed as such.

We do not have many bike boxes in Vienna but I worry this will change and we will copy poor infrastructure solutions that keep cycling modal share in the UK very low despite the best possible marketing while ignoring 40 years of research and development because...??????

Relocate space back to people - but not in VeloCity 2013.

This blog is not about copying cycling infrastructure from countries with low numbers of cyclists but this fantastic film shows that even in car dominated cities it is possible to relocate space back to people and the positive effects of doing so.


In London the major has announced his vision for cycling.


Paris closes roads to cars and opens them to people in the summer so that people in the city can enjoy being there.


The Ciclovia in Bogotá Colombia shows how popular roads are when they are closed to car traffic.


The last 60 years of road building have shown that car traffic consumes all the space that is available to it. In modern cities this must be challenged. Cities will become more and more densely populated and so we need more efficient space solutions for transport and leisure.

The solutions are there but it is often the irrational fear of loss of car space that is congesting and choking our cities. Quality cycling infrastructure can be build along side car infrastructure and as part of car infrastructure where motor traffic volume and speed is low, however it can not be built if the design brief is to build it in such a way as to have no negative effect on car space. I am not a fan of "Share the Road" without specifying the road type and function but I am a fan of "Share the Road Space".

It is extremely disappointing that in Vienna (Velo-City 2013) even the Green Party does not even consider the removal of one lane of cars to be at all politically realistic. I feel there needs to be pragmatic political pressure to fix this problem rather than painting over the fundamental design problems.

The City of Vienna constantly improves bicycle accident spots in Vienna

In a Press Release Hr Chorherr identifies problem / accident spots for bikes in Vienna, so lets look at these locations and CROWize them.


I will apply the Cycle Provision Cheatsheet although I do not have accurate numbers for traffic volume I am sure the City of Vienna does and could easily adjust for any inaccuracies in my traffic volume guesstimates.  I also have no access to the accident data so I am only guessing what the real issues are.

Margaretenstraße, Operngasse bis zum Karlsplatz:

Stadt Wien Solution: "Hier wurden neue Einfärbungen des Radweges aufgebracht, um die Sichtbarkeit für die VerkehrsteilnehmerInnen zu erhöhen."

Margaretenstrasse is a 50kmph Distributor road.  with many junctions to access and other Distributor roads.  From the Cheat sheet the solution should be Cycle lane or track with right of way at junctions.

So far so good but why is this a danger spot.  The rights of way are not humanly possible to understand. Even if you study them in great detail (and seek clarification of questionable issues) you have to apply them to the junction you are approaching, possibly control your speed, and your bike specification while making sure you do not surprise anyone and you also have to look at signs you can not physically see.  If you can do all this then you can be confident of your right or lack of right of way.  However you also have to hope the other road users are as super human as you. In short the right of way rule is that the most aggressive road user has right of way.  This is easily solved with Sharks Teeth but unfortunately this fool proof system is not fool proof enough for Vienna traffic planners.

I am not sure that repainting the cycle path will increase the clarity of the rights of way.  It certainly confuses them at Zedlitzgasse. Will it increase awareness of bikes?  Maybe this will work a bit but as a solution I worry that it ignores the main problem.

Kleine Neugasse/Margaretenstraße:
"Die Kreuzung wurde zwecks Verbesserung der Sichtbeziehungen umgebaut. Die Maßnahme zeigt die erwartete positive Wirkung. 2011 hat an dieser kein Unfall stattgefunden."

I think this it the junction pictured above.   The adjustments to make the road come up to the footpath level seam to have worked.  I bit like this.

Argentinierstraße/Schwindgasse
"Die Radfahrüberfahrt wird rot eingefärbt und ein Piktogramm "Radverkehr" für die Fahrzeuglenkerinnen aufgebracht. Zusätzlich sollen Mistkübel etc. versetzt werden um die Sichtmöglichkeiten zu erhöhen. Die Bodenmarkierungsarbeiten erfolgen bis Ende März 2013."

Here is the location:

I rode past this when I passed here because it is a very confusing junction.  This is a very important City to Vienna Central train station link and the small radweg solution should maybe be re-thought.  I get the impression that this road is a low traffic 30kmph road and if this is the case then a Combined traffic solution would maybe be more appropriate.

Heumühlgasse/Margaretenstraße
Sanierungsvorschlag wurde bereits erstellt, Verhandlungstermin zu Realisierung der Maßnahmen ist der 14.3.2013. Die Umsetzung der Maßnahmen ist für 2013 geplant.

This is another Margarentenstasse Junction see above.

Kreuzungen Augustinerstraße/Führichgasse und Karlplatz/Operngasse
Beide Stellen wurden bereits saniert, das Unfallgeschehen hat signifikant abgenommen.

This is a big open (inviting hi speed) junction with a confusing coming together of 30kmph busy roads. Not exactly sure what the problems are here or what the solution was but it would not surprise me if confusion and speed have a lot to do with the problem.

Habsburgergasse/Reitschulgasse
Die mögliche Lösung der Radfahrmöglichkeiten in der Habsburgergasse werden derzeit hinsichtlich der Verkehrssicherheit überprüft. Bis Ende März 2013 soll ein Ergebnis vorliegen.

See here and DerStandard report.

Hauptallee/Meiereistraße
Das Kreuzungsplateau wurde umgebaut. Die Wirksamkeit der Maßnahme wird evaluiert.

I am not sure why this is a problem junction but I hope that physically slowing down motor traffic on Meiereistrasse is part of the solution. 

Kreuzung Lisztgasse/Traungasse
Da es keine Häufung von Unfällen aus einer bestimmten Unfalltypobergruppe gab, wird die Kreuzung weiterhin hinsichtlich der Verkehrssicherheit beobachtet.

You can drive down Lisztgasse into Zaunergasse at high speed with a quick glance to the right to check nothing is coming which there never is.  This works great untill you get a cyclists going west along Zaunergasse.  I know this junction as I thought I was going to die here once because i was that cyclists on one occasion. SMDISY Central for cyclists and pedestrians I suspect.

The whole juction is a big wide open space where many roads meet and so physical speed reduction and tight turning radii are an important part of a new junction design. Two 30kmph and 50kmph Distributor roads meet other 30kmph access roads all with low motor traffic volume so from the cheat sheet this is complicated.... but I would go for a roundabout with tight curves and physical island that you can not drive over as my first guess at a good solution.  However "beobachten" might mean ignore.

Davidgasse/Kundratstraße (Triester Straße)
Diverse Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Verkehrssicherheit wurden bereits im Frühjahr 2012 umgesetzt. Die Wirksamkeit der Maßnahmen wird evaluiert.

This is a horrible place. A distribution roads meets Motorway.  The cheat sheet says: "Cycle track or parallel road" for Triester Strasse, which has a poor quality footpath solution for bikes.   Separation with time and space can be the only solution here.  Clearly the traffic lights are not designed for cyclist and pedestrian safety because Triester Strasse motorway capacity is more important.

Neutorgasse/Schottenring
Kreuzung wird weiterhin kritisch beobachtet. Die Häufung der Unfälle im Jahr 2009 beruhte vermutlich auf (heute bereits entfernte) Baustellen. Unabhängig davon erfolgt die Herstellung von Fahrbahnanhebungen am

Schottenring bei der Heßgasse, Hohenstaufengasse, Neutorgasse und Gonzagagasse. Baubeginn ab Mai und Fertigstellung vor dem 7.6.2013

Building site with no consideration of non motorized traffic (again) I suspect.

Parkring 12
Unfälle sind hier wegen einer falsch postierten Litfaßsäule erfolgt. Diese wurde bereits 2010 versetzt. Danach hat es keine gleichartigen Unfälle gegeben. Die Wirksamkeit der Maßnahme wird weiter evaluiert.

I think I remember this advertising board/tube and I am very gland it has gone.  Why was it not removed when the radweg was built?  It is a shame that many accidents have to happen first before visual obstructions are considered dangerous.

Kärntner Ring/Schubertring (Schwarzenbergplatz)
Die häufigsten Unfallursachen waren Linksabbiegeunfälle und Unfälle zwischen abbiegenden und entgegenkommenden Fahrzeugen an unterschiedlichen Bereichen der Kreuzung. Die Ausarbeitung von
Sanierungsvorschlägen ist im Gange und für 2013 vorgesehen.

This is a terrible junction.  A car got shunted from behind by another car here once when it stopped to let me cross on a green light. It is a 3 lane motorway turning on to a 2 lane motorway with pedestrians and cyclists crossing very messy light controlled crossings.  Even on green the cars turn at you fast and have to break hard.  This whole area is a traffic mess and I know many cyclists that just try to avoid it all together.

Franz-Josefs-Kai/Rotenturmstraße
Eine Verkehrssicherheitsuntersuchung wurde an ein externes Institut vergeben. Ein Sanierungsvorschlag wurde erarbeitet und von der Behörde am 15.10.2012 verhandelt. Die Radfahrüberfahrt wird rot eingefärbt und das Piktogramm für FahrzeuglenkerInnen "Hinweis auf RadfahrerInnen" wird angebracht. Die Fahrbahnsanierung am Franz-Josefs-Kai wird in der KW 13 und KW 14 mit anschließender Herstellung der Bodenmarkierung durchgeführt.

Paint is expected to protect cyclists from a motorway? Which institute thinks this is an adequate solution? This is another mess that will hopefully get done right rather than painted over. See here for more info

Arbeitergasse/Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel
Der Sanierungsvorschlag wurde erarbeitet und von der Behörde am 9.10.2012 verhandelt. Die Radfahrüberfahrt wird rot eingefärbt, Wechselblinker für RadfahrerInnen/FußgängerInnen für Linksabbieger
installiert und Fahrbahnmarkierungen für Fußgänger/Radfahrer im Vorfeld von der Kreuzung entfernt.

Die Bodenmarkierungsarbeiten erfolgen bis Ende März 2013, der Wechselblinker wird bis zur KW 13/2013 realisiert.

More paint....

Hernalser Gürtel/Ottakringer Straße
Die Poller werden im Bereich Gürtelradweg von Jörger Straße bis Herbststraße bis Ende März 2013 entfernt.

I do not know this issue.

Hütteldorfer Straße/Schweglerstraße
Ein Sanierungsvorschlag wurde erarbeitet. Die Radfahrüberfahrt wird rot eingefärbt. Die  Bodenmarkierungsarbeiten erfolgen bis Ende März 2013.

More paint....

I appreciate the effort by the City of Vienna but I think painting over the symptoms of their bad design is not going to make a significant change to cyclist safety objectively or subjectively.  What cyclists need is real quality rather than paint on fixes.

Getreidemarkt: continued...

I was going to do a more detailed version of my original Getreidemarkt proposal but now that there are so many other proposals out there I will not bother.  Each proposal has pros and cons and I do not know which is best.  However I feel the important point has been made that there are solutions and it is possible to have reduced conflict on the roads if the roads are designed differently.  I hope a good solution can be developed although unless some road space is allocated to bikes for a proper separated cycle path I think this will not be possible.

Argus and IGF have proposed a One direction RadWeg solution.  Stephan Plepelits developed a design similar to mine in 2009 as a Technical University (TU) Project: Download. The TU have prepared a Discussion paper with some other options here: IVV-Diskussionsvorlage "Radweg Getreidemarkt"

There has been considerable media interest in this and derStandard did a TV show about it.

Well done for the Christoph Chorherr, for going back to the drawing board.  I think he was really surprised by how much frustration and anger there is out there, however as a user of Vienna's poor road design I am not surprised at all.  So often cyclists are fobbed off with poor quality paint on "solutions" that do nothing to increase safety and often reduces it by forcing bikes out of the way of cars into the door zone.  This has to change.  The final solution at Getreidemarkt will show us if Vienna really is VeloCity or CarCity.

To be continued....

Neugestaltung Schwedenplatz

Someone challenged me to find ideas how to make the Schwedenplatz not only a more bikable but also a more liveable place. This area of Vienna is getting redeveloped however I have very little information about the plans other than the useful information here.  Therefore this is a ignorant brainstorm and nothing else but lets look at this space and see what could be done for bikes.

This is a radlkarte.at view of the cycle network at Schwedenplatz. It is a bit of a confusing mixed mess.  The route along the canal is fantastic although it does get a bit crowded in summer. There is not a lot of cycle traffic at Schwedenplatz because it is very cycle unfriendly at the moment.  On the Franz Joefs-Kai there is a radweg but this is mixed in with pedestrians and it becomes very overcrowded in summer.

I will assume the functions of the space will remain and that the tram lines or underground garage will not be moved.  From the consultation here this seams to be the case.  The tram lines and the differing space functions create strong divisions in this space.   In order to maximise the space available for a nice park like location to be developed the transport function spaces need to be as space efficient as possible.

In my opinion it is important to remove the dividing road Rotenturmstrasse. This small amount of one way traffic can be routed down Fleischmarkt.  This dividing road does more to make the space unpleasant than its transport function justifies. This space is just too valuable to be used for a petrol station so that should be removed.

There are 2 radweg routes through here in my opinion. I have drawn them on the map below.  The Northern route exists already but between Urania and Schwedenplatz there is not enough room on the foot path for the bikes and the many pedestrians.  One lane of motor traffic needs to be removed to provide proper space for this route.

I think the southern route has to weave along the dividing lines of the space functions to minimise conflict.  This would require the ramp entrance to the underground garage to be moved and the space where the petrol station is now used for the coaches and buses. There are many tram lines and pedestrians travelling between the tram stops and U-Bahn exits, at this location the cycle path would need to go out along the edge of the road.  It would be extremely  important that high speed motor traffic does not turn off the huge road and cross a cycle path.  Therefore a cycle path (if required) would need to be routed between the tram lines and the motor vehicles.

It would be really nice to allow bikes to ride freely through the pedestrian space. This would work if pedestrian density is not too high and fast bike through traffic has an alternative route.  The canal is a fantastic through route but there is also pedestrian conflict there in summer.  So I think at least one fast through route for bike traffic needs to be good quality and clearly defined and the rest of the space used for pedestrians and people enjoying the space.  I do not know how bike traffic will develop here but it is essential that it is considered now at the planning stage and not painted on a foot path later as often seams to be the case.  Lets see what solutions are proposed and what they will mean for bike traffic.  Can the city of Vienna get this right?  They have space budget and time so let see...

Getreidemarkt

A new solution for Getreidemarkt has been announced today. This 4 lane motorway is to be made more attractive for cyclists with this  solution.

At the moment this is a very exciting and dangerous place to ride.  You come down hill fast along a extremely narrow strip and merge with 3 lanes of  (50kmph max speed (realistic 65kmph)) cars who compete for position in the 4 lanes at the next junction.  2 to go straight, 1 is right turn only and one is both.  This means on a bike you have to take the second lane.  This is all good fun for people who like extreme sports.  The new solution forces you to pull out at a specific point rather than pick you gap so I see it doing nothing for safety (or making this at all attractive) for anyone on a bike.

How would the Dutch fix this?

Here is the cycle network on radlkarte.at.There is a missing connection between the Mariahilfe Strasse junction and the Treitistrasse, and also the Kostlergasse.  So let fix this huge and obvious whole in the cycle network.

This is what it looks like from above.

The current situation:

Here is a very quick sketch of how a bidirectional cycle path could be easily fitted into this space.

Coming down the hill there will be 3 lanes not 4.  A curb or small wall is needed as a barrier.  The traffic lights can be timed to remove all conflict at the junctions if necessary.  One of the 4 lanes of parking could be used to create a bike route along the Wiener Strasse.


This would reduce peak traffic capacity of the junctions a little and reduce parking by a maximum of 25% but it would be a solution that would be comfortable and convenient to use and a real improvement for people on bikes.

Cycle traffic will never be a significant proportion of the traffic unless it is granted some space.  Just 1 of 8 lanes along the Naschmarkt are required for a solution here.  If there is not enough space for just 1/8 of the space to be allocated for bikes then there is not enough space for modes of transport that are inefficient with space use.  This needs to be done properly or it will be a waste of money.  Spending 200000 Euros on a strip of paint down the middle of a motorway and saying this will be a safety improvement for bikes is nothing other than incompetence and a waste of tax payers money.