City of Tulln plans feasibility study to relieve the mermaid circuit

City of Tulln plans feasibility study to relieve the mermaid circuit

in the Tullner mermaid roundabout, an important traffic junction, traffic jams and longer waiting times often occur, especially at peak times. The city administration has now decided to search for solutions by means of a feasibility study to improve this traffic situation. At the municipal council meeting on September 25th, this decision was made unanimously. The study will analyze the current traffic flows and show possible optimizations.

The mermaid circuit was put into operation in 2009. This decision was made during the renewal of the railway bridge when an earlier traffic light crossing was replaced by today's roundabout. Mayor Peter Eisenschenk, who also sits in the local council, sees the possibility that new traffic strategies can be developed in cooperation with the state and in view of the B19, a heavily used state road. "We have already contacted the country to catch up with their expertise," explains Eisenschenk.

traffic flows and their changes

In the past 15 years, traffic in this region has increased drastically. However, the traffic city councilor Hubert Herzog (SPÖ) expresses concerns: "I lack a bit of the imagination of what you can do there." Critical voices also come from Andreas Bors, a city council of the FPÖ. He reminds that the country had warned before the roundabout was built up that the number of access roads could be a problem. Mayor Eisenschenk replies that despite these concerns, the decision for the roundabout was correct because it guarantees a better flow of traffic than the former ampell solution.

Apart from the existing problems of the mermaid circular transport, GeoG Brenner from the Neos greeted the idea of the roundabout positively, but also sees an urgent need for action in the means of transport. "The degree of occupation of the cars is often below 1.2, many parents bring their children to school by car," he notes. He suggests creating alternatives for pedestrians and cyclists to sustainably improve the traffic situation.

The feasibility study

The feasibility study will examine the traffic situation in detail. The current traffic flows against historical data and future forecasts are to be weighed. In addition, various measures should be considered to optimize the flow of traffic. The costs for this study are set at around 8,000 euros.

The mayor Rainer Patzl (Greens) emphasizes that the bicycle traffic situation during the analyzes should not be lost sight of either. Especially near schools, improvements could be necessary to make cycling more secure and more attractive. "I hope that the external expert also takes into account the situation for cyclists," says Patzl.