[3.4] Graz
Graz, Austria
Gerhard Rüsch, City Councillor of Graz
" Graz has a reputation for good practice and projects in mobility management. The bicycle share is increasing by both awareness and infrastructure measures. But we are not complacent: 70.000 daily commuters is a significant problem. We want to minimise it. Measures have to deal with the changing of attitudes and habits of the people. We also know that every new idea meets with opposition: so by involving our critics in some of the Study Tours and Staff Exchanges we hope to persuade them that mobility management is a real alternative to ‘predict and provide’. The Staff Exchanges may be especially valuable: for key workers to spend a week with their peers in another EU municipality is a very valuable opportunity for us and all other partners. "
Our interest in PIMMS is in…| • Exchange of experiences in a European dimension • Best practices to learn and to show • Cooperation, to develop common strategies • Tradition of Graz, to continue with European cities and European projects |
1. Main characteristics of the city/region
| • Capital City of the Province Styria • Second largest city in Austria with a population of 230.000 ( and 30.000 students) • Area: 127,6 km² of which 40% is green space • 4 universities and 2 universities of applied science • Public transport: 6 tram lines = 44km (30 low-floor trams) and 37 bus lines = 250km (bio diesel bus fleet – powered by waste cooking oil) • 330.000 people use public transport daily • Public transport association: 1 ticket for the whole Province of Styria |
2. Main transport issues
| • The reduction of private/individual traffic - 110.000 cars daily • Bad accessibility to and from suburban areas (early morning and late at night) with public transport. |
3. Mobility management domains of special interest
| What others might want to learn from us | |
CLEAN VEHICLES |
All buses go by biodiesel (made of used cooking oil); A taxi fleet – biodiesel and CNG; Reduced parking fee for low polluting cars (- 30%). |
INDIVIDUALISED TRAVEL MARKETING |
Campaigns to promote public transport and reduce air pollution. |
MOBILITY & EDUCATION |
Mobility Management for companies and schools; Bicycle training for children in real traffic; Mobility Centre. |
POLICY & INTEGRATION |
Cooperation with Pecs, Praque, Lille, Stockholm (EU Project Civitas/Trendsetter). |
ROAD PRICING |
Not in the city area, but on motorways (electronical for lorries and vignette for cars). |
ROAD SAFETY |
Graz was the first city of introducing a speed limit of 30/50kph all over the city (1992), 30kph (18.75mph) in all side streets and in front of schools, nurseries and hospitals; 110 km bicycle – routes. |
TRAVEL AWARENESS |
Speed limit 30/50kph; Speed indicators for 130 positions; Car free day; Bicycle training for children. |
TRAVEL PLANS |
Mobility Center – offers information on all public transport and European rail service (tickets, reservations, timetables); “busbahnbim” – on the internet; Bicycle route map also in digital version. |