Three Cycle Competence members made strong appearances in June: Bike Citizens from Graz received an award from climate minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) for its research activities. Austrias leading bicycle manufacturer KTM clearly won the e-bike test of the consumer lobby VKI. And communication agency katapult developed the brand strategy process for the cycling school “Schulterblick” (glance over the shoulder) for a new communication campaign. (more…)

With the slogan “Fit for future – fit into the future” (brochure in German) the province of Lower Austria is implementing extensive measures for active mobility. One key project in cycle traffic will be high-quality cycle highways. Cycle Competence member Verracon GmbH is an expert adviser to the project. And our member con.sens mobilitätsdesign has developed a regional concept for every-day cycling. (more…)

It can be labeled a paradigm shift when news about kilometres of new pop-up bike lanes, new speed limits for cars and other promotions of cycle traffic are coming in from hundreds of cities in Europe. The European Union has also taken first steps to place cycle traffic on an equal level with car traffic. Some of these developments had already started before the pandemic. Many of them were, however, speeded up by the crisis.  (more…)

On World Bicycle Day on 3 June, federal minister Leonore Gewessler (Green Party) got a lot of attention for her announcement of a bicycle campaign promising up to €40m in federal subsidies for investments in bike infrastructure. We are taking a closer look at what is included in these investments as well as at the additional subsidies for cycle highways. Municipalities wanting to invest in cycling traffic as crisis-proof, sustainable form of mobility can apply for these subsidies from July. (more…)

According to the “Mobility Futures” study published in 2019, urban traffic all over the world will have changed by 2030. Using sustainable means of transport and doing without a car – this will be the trend over the next decade, according to the study done by the globally active trend research institute Kantar. We briefly summarised the results. With an 18% increase the use of bicycles is growing more rapidly than that of any other means of transport.

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In autumn 2019, the Cycle Competence platform surveyed municipalities and communities on their cycle traffic systems. We compiled a questionnaire allowing local authorities to check the frame work for cycling with the help of a traffic light system. Here we are presenting the results for the first time and translate the questionnaire’s 26 questions.

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Before the standstill caused by the Corona pandemic Cycle Competence members Bike Citizens, Kaloveo,  Bike Energy and Innovametall had been very active. During the shutdown FGM’s webinars for the EU project Metamorphosis are available in home offices world wide. Traffic planners verkehrplus keep up the team spirit by holding virtual team breakfasts. An overview:

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Times of crisis are shaking society and also offer a chance for transformation. Familiar norms are being questioned, routines are changing and previously unimaginable leeways for interventions are opening up. In our current harrowing situation this is also true for cycle traffic: Everything is possible from restrictions to more flexibility. We have taken a look – from Bogotá via Berlin to Budapest, from Paris via Rome to New York: Which measures are being taken facing the COVID-19 pandemic?

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From 29 to 31 March 2020, the 13th Austrian Cycling Summit was meant to take place in Vienna. Unfortunately, Coronavirus (Covid-19) made the Austrian government cancel all big events until April. So also our CEE Forum on Tuesday 31, where the platform Cycle Competence Austria wanted to offer a special focus on the CEE area, cannot happen. (more…)

The news from our CycleCompetence members Bike Citizens, FGM, Innovametall, Planoptimo, Rosinak & Partner, VELLO, woom, the province of Vorarlberg are impressive: One state award for design was fetched, new trains as well as new products and kid’s bicycles were launched, one Eurobike Award was one, one cycling concept for Bregenz was designed, the city of Hannover was supported and a lot more is happening. Even Austria’s president Alexander van der Bellen was on board! (more…)

The GO RADMOBIL initiative is part of the cycle strategy of the Austrian province of Styria. With it the regional government wants to get people to rethink mobility. A lot of areas in the province are more suitable for cars than for people. With more sustainable mobility the living quality is to be improved. Trofaiach leads by example (more…)

Political pressure from cyclists as well as political conviction in decision-makers render powerful subsidy packages possible. These can boost cycling traffic. Here we are providing a European look on current developments: Frankfurt has earmarked €21m, the Netherlands €75m and Portugal is also investing heavily. (more…)

Changing people’s mobility patters is fuelled by new offerings for cyclists and by future-proof examples allowing global imitation. This is why a glance to the North is always worthwhile. The web-platform “Cycling Solutions” compiles exemplary Danish infrastructure examples. Meanwhile, Utrecht has constructed an impressive example: The largest cycling garage in the world. All the way around the globe in the South in Auckland these examples are being happily imitated and cited in a new cycling strategy. (more…)

On the subject of company bicycles the Austrian parliament has reached an important decision: As part of the tax reform passed at the end of September employers will be able to claim back input tax on purchases of company bicycles from 2020 (Vorsteuerabzug). Soon employees might also get legal clarity (more…)

At the Parliamentary Evening of the German “Fahrradakademie” Austria’s CycleCompetence was the protagonist on the topic “cycling in rural areas”. At the Austrian Embassy in Berlin experts and MPs from the German Bundestag gathered to hear presentations and panel discussions. Delegates of CycleCompetence members included Johannes Rauch, councillor in the province of Vorarlberg,  Andrea Weninger, managing director at Rosinak & Partner, as well as federal cycling coordinator Martin Eder. (more…)

Especially in every-day cycling potholes and other damages to the road surface are a nuisance as they have to be avoided daily. For the road maintenance administration it is important to efficiently deal with reports about such damages. CycleCompetence member PRISMA solutions has found an intelligent solution to link the regional database for the German province of Hessen with the international reporting platform RADar!

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With the up-to-date review of the road code the German federal traffic minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) wants to strengthen cycling traffic to make cycling more attractive and safer. The self-proclaimed “cycling minister” surprises with ambitious measures in his proposal: Among those are a minimum distance for overtaking cyclists, creating cycling zones and rules on when not to overtake cyclists.

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Bicycle streets and cycling highways are traffic design elements generally viewed as important means to increase attractiveness of cycling traffic. Since the legal implementation of cycling streets in 2013, Austria has already seen a few of these being introduced with the provinces of Vienna and Vorarlberg as pioneers. Now, the city of Vienna has presented its “Masterplan Cycling Streets” developed by CycleCompetence member  komobile. (more…)

The long-demanded legal equalization of e-bikes and electronic cars as company vehicles had been hinted at in spring. Now that there has been a government re-shuffle the tax reform seems to have been pushed way back again. The timing is quite unfortunate as the sale of e-bikes has reached a record high in Austria. The cycling coordinator for the city of Vienna, Martin Blum, is therefore among those demanding to take the “company bicycle” out of the tax reform. Instead a new legal framework should be passed by parliament as a separate motion as soon as possible. (more…)

Dublin is hosting this year’s Velo-city conference and with it over 1,000 experts and activists helping cycle traffic to achieve the significance and attention it deserves. From 25 to 29 June the summit of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) will offer a diversified expert programme. Cycle Competence Austria is contributing to that. Yesterday it was officially announced that the next Velo-city Conference 2020 will be close to Austria in Ljubljana, as Mexico City has withdrawn its place.
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The regions Hall in Tyrol and Lauterach in Vorarlberg are using Cycle Competence to show the potential every-day cycling can have to reduce traffic in rural areas: Cycling streets (Fahrradstraßen), cycle traffic networks and filling gaps are prioritised in comprehensive regional concepts. (more…)

After the high-profile „Volksentscheid Fahrrad” and the resulting law on mobility passed in Berlin a year ago, it is now time for implementation. In our exclusive interview with Wigand von Sassen, group leader cycle traffic at the Berliner Senatsverwaltung (the local government) and with other updates we are showing how far Berlin has gotten in realising the plans and which steps are still ahead of the German capital. (more…)

The role of tourism as an economic factor is to be strengthened further in Austria. Of course the bicycle is part of this strategy as it is one of the most important leisure sports devices. This has now been noted by the federal ministry for sustainability and tourism (BMNT) in its so-called “Plan T – Masterplan for Tourism”. In it, an additional 800.000 Euros is earmarked for “digitalisation and cycling campaigns”.
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On 2 April 2019 the Cycle Competence Austria platform, together with the urban mobility lab Salzburg, organised its first training masterclass. Under the heading “This is what cycle traffic should look like!” representatives of municipalities as well as cycling coordinators were invited to the event which was part of the pre-programme of the “Networkmeeting Cycle Traffic” by the province of Salzburg. This first “Cycle Competence Masterclass” was focusing on core topics of traffic planning and received very positive feedback. (more…)

The Austrian climate strategy includes a doubling of cycle traffic share. For environmental minister Köstinger (BMNT) mobility is one of the priorities in aiming to cut seven million tons of CO2 by 2030. A recommended 30-euro per capita cycling budget would mean in the decade between 2020 and 2030 a total of €3bn is available for necessary improvements. Cycle Competence Austria is the first to analyse how this money should be invested wisely. Here are the results. (more…)

At the beginning of September, the Austrian parliament was presented with a long-awaited draft of the 30^th amendment to the domestic road code, the “Straßenverkehrsordnung” (StVO). In it, the Ministry for Transport has both embedded improvements for cycle traffic, which have been negotiated for years now, as well as the pilot scheme “Turning right on red”. One of the highlights is the planned end for the dreaded “Ende” road markings signalling cyclists they have to yield their right of way.
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Already for the 19^th time this year, Europe’s largest campaign for soft mobility, the European Mobility Week, is taking place. From 16 to 22 September the multi-modal advantages of cycling, the use of public transport and walking are to be emphasised under the heading “Mix and Move”. One of the highlights: The special folding bike promotion in the province of Vorarlberg.

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Research project LARA Share goes into the trial phase! It aims to increase the integration of cargo bikes into commercial and private goods transport. Companies and private individuals are to be motivated to do without cars for short, inner-city routes with small amounts of goods to transport. The sharing platform for cargo bikes developed by a project team including Cycle Competence member FGM will now be put to the real-life test.

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Growing efforts to promote climate-friendly mobility chains also increase the importance of parking facilities at hubs and railway stations. To help achieve this, Cycle Competence member RADLand Niederösterreich (province of Lower Austria) has announced a million euro investment programme. At the same time, a pilot project is implemented in cooperation with Cycle Competence member Innovametall. (more…)

From 24 to 26 September the European Cycling Summit will take place in Salzburg under the heading “Cycling culture moves”. The three-day event is to set a new impulse for establishing a comprehensive cycling culture in cities and municipalities with the help of international experts. Cycle Competence Austria is inviting you to join us for a themed breakfast at our Cycle Competence Lounge. We look forward to seeing you there! (more…)

For many countries neighbouring Austria, Vienna has a model character for the step-by-step improvement of cycle traffic. A Serbian film team has therefore come to Vienna: The every-day routes in Belgrade are getting longer, every year there is 3% more motorized traffic in the streets compared to the previous year. Every new parking space that is built brings more cars, more traffic, more chaos. Therefore strategic traffic planning is needed. What can this look like?
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Currently the European Union is promoting three cargo bike projects running from 2018 to 2021. The three projects of the promotion programs Horizon 2020 and INTERREG cover very different topics such as rolling city furniture, mobility concepts and product development of fuel cells. Meanwhile “KlimaEntLaster” are rolling through the Lower Austrian Mostviertel.
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On 24 May the European Commission published its proposal for stricter EU regulations regarding motor vehicles (Motor Insurance Directive – MID). The aims are to “to better protect victims of motor vehicle accidents and improve the rights of insurance policyholders”. There is, however, one point that snuck itself into this proposal: A liability insurance for pedelec users. (more…)