Traffic calming on the way: new traffic laws for cities!

Traffic calming on the way: new traffic laws for cities!

The Austrian Minister of Mobility Peter Hanke sent an important amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) to government coordination on April 6, 2025. The aim of this novella is to enable automated and camera -based access management in the Austrian municipalities. Over 25 cities have already expressed interest in this regulation in order to achieve traffic calming in their inner cities. This is considered a crucial step to increase the quality of life in urban areas.

Städtbund President and Viennese Mayor Michael Ludwig supports the amendment and emphasizes the positive effects on the greening and quality of stay in the cities. Vienna already has plans to implement the new legal options promptly. Vienna's mobility councilor Ulli Sima emphasizes the potential of the novella: A feasibility study suggests that up to 15,700 entrances into the inner city could be prevented.

advantages for economy and quality of life

The Vienna Chamber of Commerce, represented by President Walter Ruck, emphasizes that increased traffic calming not only increases the quality of stay of the citizens, but also benefits the catering and retail. This is supported by Markus Figl, the district leader of the inner city, who describes traffic calming as a decisive contribution to the quality of life of Viennese citizens.

The Austrian Association has been calling for a legal basis for automation -based access controls for years. The upcoming novella creates exactly this legal framework, although the concrete implementation is left to the cities and municipalities. It is planned to give the amendment to the assessment, with the aim of putting it into force on January 1, 2026 at the latest.

data protection and monitoring

In the context of the planned access management, an expert opinion was commissioned by Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Forgó was created by the University of Vienna. This report initiated by the District Association and the Ministry of Climate Protection shows that automated zone-access management can be implemented in accordance with data protection. It is emphasized that larger control areas and longer data storage require additional data protection measures.

In order to avoid a feeling of surveillance among the population, measures must be taken that ensure that only vehicle license plates and vehicle drivers are visible. All other people must be made unrecognizable. It is also required that photos that are not required for administrative criminal proceedings must be deleted immediately. In addition to these requirements, access to the collected data must be strictly regulated.

Minister of Climate Protection Leonore Gewessler underlines the importance of quality of life in cities and the need to reconcile climate protection and data protection issues. The urban district general secretary Thomas Weninger also emphasizes the value of green spaces and environmentally friendly mobility. Among the supporters of the measures are Mayor Klaus Schneeberger from Wiener Neustadt and Vice Mayor Judith Schwentner from Graz, who want to increase security for pedestrians.

The implementation of these initiatives is considered pioneering for mobility in Austria. The regulation and access management create a basis that significantly influences not only traffic, but also the quality of life of the citizens.

Information about the planned amendment can be found on the city of Vienna's website: Städtebund .