“These numbers are impressive,” says Deputy Mayor Martin Hajart (VP), who is responsible for traffic, referring to the data from the Linz bike counters. A total of 1,399,846 bike rides were counted by the end of October. Hajart sees this as confirmation that he is on the right track to making the cycle path network more attractive. Some things have already been set in motion, such as the new multi-purpose strips on Stockhofstrasse, while others, such as converting the cycle path on Schubertstrasse into a cycle highway, are already being planned, he says.
Incidentally, 284,800 bicycle trips were registered in the latter from January to September. When it comes to bridges, in terms of popularity, i.e. the highest frequency, the new railway bridge is ahead. There, 417,400 crossings were counted with the new counting station from May to October.
However, the data situation for the bridges is not entirely clear, since the summer there has been a problem with data collection for the Nibelungen Bridge due to a “technical error”. Around 260,000 journeys were documented there by June. For comparison: 98,000 people crossed the Voest Bridge from July to October.
increase awareness
Hajart wants to set up more (digital) counting points, and a wheel dashboard is also planned. This should show the number of cyclists currently riding in real time. The data should contribute to raising awareness and raising the importance of cycling and form the basis for needs-based cycle path planning.
As is well known, usage figures alone say nothing about the condition of the respective connections. The best example of this is the Nibelungen Bridge, which is repeatedly criticized.
Hajart confirmed that with the opening of the western ring bridge in 2024, two lanes should be open to cyclists. Recently, as reported, there had been debates about a car-free Nibelungen Bridge, in addition to Hajart, such a traffic councilor Günther Steinkellner (FP) also rejects it.
Cycling in numbers
417,400 Cycle crossings were counted on the New Railway Bridge from May to October. Incidentally, the direction of travel to Urfahr is somewhat more popular there – unlike on the Voest Bridge. 212,300
There were journeys in the direction of Urfahr, in the direction of Linz it was “only” 205,100.
six For months this year, data was recorded on the Nibelungen Bridge (around 260,000 bicycle crossings), and the counting list has been empty since July. The reason: a technical error.
330,800 There were bike rides this year, from January to October, along the Danube Cycle Path. This is not only popular with the people of Linz, but also with tourists.
Source: Nachrichten
