After the completion of the climate-friendly Universitätsstraße and the new section of the cycle highway on Wagramer Straße, there is one last pre-Christmas present for Vienna’s cyclists this year: the cycle path on Krottenbachstraße in the 19th district – a structurally separate, up to Three meter wide two-way cycle path between Cottagegasse and Felix-Dahn-Straße – is finished!
“With the last section of the 1.7 km long, now structurally separated, two-way cycle path, we are closing an important gap in the main cycle path network as planned and have established a safe connection through the 19th district to the city center and the neighboring Währing district. “Thank you to everyone involved for the good cooperation,” said Mobility City Councilor Ulli Sima. The continuous two-way cycle path on Krottenbachstrasse is a highlight of the city’s major cycle path offensive and also brings much more safety for pedestrians.
In three sections, Krottenbachstrasse became a future-proof cycling area with an impressive total length of 1.7 kilometers. The project has been under construction since 2023: The infrastructure for cyclists was massively improved here, first between Cottagegasse and Flotowgasse and a year later between Börnergasse and Felix-Dahn-Straße. This year the gap between the two sections – from Flotowgasse to Börnergasse – was also closed.
“With Krottenbachstraße we show how modern and fair transport policy is implemented in Vienna: space for safe cycle paths, more quality of life and a climate-friendly redesign. The new cycle path creates a direct, safe and comfortable connection from which families, children and young people in particular benefit because they can be climate-friendly, healthy and active. This makes cycling the ideal form of mobility for everyday life and leisure here in the 19th district too,” says NEOS Vienna mobility spokeswoman Angelika Pipal-Leixner.
“I am pleased that this new main cycle route has closed the gap to Währing and the Danube Canal as well as towards the center, which is safe and family-friendly,” said deputy district leader Thomas Mader.
The sections in detail:
Cottagegasse bis Flotowgasse
The beginning of a safe and comfortable cycle route on Krottenbachstrasse was made in March 2023: Construction began here on the structurally separate, up to 3 meter wide and over 300 meter long two-way cycle path in the section between Cottagegasse and Flotowgasse. Four new green spaces were built along the route and five trees were planted. The cycling infrastructure in Cottagegasse from Peter-Jordan-Straße to Krottenbachstraße was already optimized in 2022. Krottenbachstrasse connects perfectly to this part of Vienna’s cycling infrastructure.
Börnergasse to Felix-Dahn-Straße
The section of the cycle path between Börnergasse and Felix-Dahn-Straße followed in autumn 2023. The two-way cycle path created here, which is also structurally separate, will be supplemented by additional cycle parking facilities in the side streets of Krottenbachstrasse, and new benches have also been set up in the Börnergasse area. Since then, an additional protective route at Siolygasse has ensured greater safety when crossing Krottenbachstrasse.
Flotowgasse to Börnergasse
The middle section with a length of 810 meters is now perfectly connected to the previous section: a structurally separated two-direction cycle path with a width of up to three meters. With the new cycling infrastructure, cyclists of all ages can now travel faster, more comfortably and safely.
Safety is a priority
An important point for this central part of Krottenbachstrasse is the safety of road users: Until now, cyclists had to travel in mixed traffic with cars and buses, and pedestrians only had three crossing options in the loud, car-dominated area.
Krottenbachstrasse, which was eight meters wide on average, offered plenty of space for redesign. The street was completely redesigned and divided more fairly: By reducing the number of parking spaces on the northern side, space was created for a wide, comfortable cycle path. New bike racks along the route offer the opportunity to park the bikes safely. The larger cargo bikes were also thought of!
Sidewalk extensions shorten the crossing distances for pedestrians. In addition, two new traffic lights were created at Krottenbachstrasse 42-46 and at the intersection of Krottenbachstrasse and Kratzlgasse, as well as additional zebra crossings. In the side streets that are not regulated by traffic lights, the lanes have been raised, thus ensuring greater clarity. This makes crossing the road even safer for pedestrians.
Better connection
BOKU students are particularly pleased about this. Anyone studying at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences can now get to the university on Gregor-Mendel-Straße even faster and safer – whether by bike or on foot. And the Danube Canal is now even easier to reach by bike via Krottenbachstraße and further via Cottagegasse.
With Krottenbachstrasse, the district in the north of Vienna has the opportunity to focus even more on bicycles as a means of transport for everyday life and leisure. Whether it’s work, university or the nearby Türkenschanzpark with its countless opportunities for recreation and relaxation: the new cycle path makes everything even easier to reach.
Vienna’s big cycle path offensive
The big Vienna cycle path offensive is still in full swing! Every year around 50 projects with 20 kilometers of new cycle paths are launched. The city invests around 20 million euros per year as part of the major cycle path offensive – last year it was a record sum of 35 million euros. The growing offer is being gladly accepted: 10 percent of everyday trips in Vienna are now made by bike. The focus of the offensive is on closing important gaps and creating new, continuous cycle connections.
More information at fahrradwien.at