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East Tyrol closes cycle path gaps: Mobility price 2025 goes to Lienz!
The Tirol 2025 VCÖ Mobility Prize was awarded in Innsbruck, the winning project promotes the gap closure in the cycle path network in East Tyrol.
East Tyrol closes cycle path gaps: Mobility price 2025 goes to Lienz!
On September 5, 2025, the Tyrolean VCÖ Mobility Prize for 2025 was awarded in the Innsbruck country house. The outstanding project that won the prize is entitled "Gaps in the Roadway Act" and aims to significantly improve cycling in the East Tyrol region. A total of 15 municipalities in the Lienzer Talboden Planning Association plan to close gaps in the network of bike paths by 2026 in order to optimize the accessibility of the Lienz central area. Around 18,000 people commute to Lienz every day, and the need for well -developed and safe bike paths is essential to get more people to cycle.
The winning project comprises twelve sections of the route with a total length of 7.1 kilometers. The construction work began in 2024 with a completion by 2026. Through targeted measures, not only danger spots are removed, but also better connected to the bike paths. VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger emphasizes that sustainable mobility is of growing importance in both cities and in rural areas to get closer to the climate goals and to increase quality of life.
Promotion of cycling in the region
Cycling not only gains importance in East Tyrol, but is also a national trend. The Federal Environment Agency sees the improvement of the bicycle traffic shares as a central task. Experts estimate that up to 30 % of car journeys in metropolitan areas could be shifted to bicycle traffic. Cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Münster are already setting standards in bicycle traffic, which results in a significant reduction in motorized trips.
A positive side effect of cycling is health promotion: cycling can increase life expectancy by 3 to 14 months. In addition, studies show that 30 minutes of moderate movement can significantly reduce the risk of civilization diseases. These facts underline the economic advantages of cycling, since cycling workers in the Netherlands are missing one working day less a year.
Sustainable mobility for the future
Extensive measures are required with the aim of increasing the proportion of cycling. This includes the construction of a continuous wheel network with safe, comfortable bike paths and modern bicycle parking systems. The switch to the bike can only be made attractive by a positive cycling infrastructure. The project in East Tyrol is a step in the right direction and could serve as an example for other regions that also want to improve your cycling infrastructure.
In summary, it can be said that the promotion of bicycle traffic not only contributes to filling gaps in the network of cycle paths, but also affects essential aspects of transport and health policy. Sustainable mobility of tomorrow needs innovative ideas and the determination of causing changes. According to tirol.orf.at, it is essential to put this change process into practice in order to counter the challenges of today's traffic.