Traffic blocks in Leonding: Residents decide on traffic safety

Traffic blocks in Leonding: Residents decide on traffic safety

As part of a test, traffic barriers were introduced in Leonding in recent months to check traffic safety and noise reduction in several residential areas. On October 20th, residents had the opportunity to vote on the permanent introduction of these barriers. Around 4,000 residents were called to vote, but only 1,356 people took part in the vote, which means a voter turnout of around 36.7 percent.

The vote resulted in different opinions in the affected streets. While 60 percent of participants in the “Am Südgarten” neighborhood (a total of 150 people from 75 percent of the electorate) voted to maintain the traffic block, 54 percent of those surveyed in Herderstrasse and Georg-Erber-Strasse rejected the block. Participation here was only 37 percent, which highlights the discrepancy between the two areas.

Voting results

The opinions couldn't be more different. In “Am Südgarten” the residents noticed the positive changes caused by the closures, which is reflected in the results. In contrast, the residents of Herderstrasse and Georg-Erber-Strasse expressed skepticism and the majority spoke out against the closure. This different perception raises questions about the specific circumstances and needs of the different areas.

The situation on Herderstrasse and Georg-Erber-Strasse is completely different. Here, 629 residents, or 54 percent, spoke out against the traffic closure. Advances in the city's administrative processes have enabled citizens to express their voices both through in-person voting and through votes cast in advance at the district office. This flexibility was important to make it easier for all residents to participate.

Further steps by the city of Leonding

On October 21st, the temporary barriers on Herderstrasse and Georg-Erber-Strasse will be removed. In contrast, the closure in the “Am Südgarten” area remains in place due to positive feedback from residents. However, the final decision will be made by the local council, which will discuss the next steps at its meeting on November 7th. The city has already indicated that many council members are inclined to follow the wishes of residents, as the voting results show.

“We are glad that we decided to test the barriers and that the residents were able to experience for themselves how the noise situation and traffic safety in their residential area changes with barriers,” explained Mayor Sabine Naderer-Jelinek and City Councilor for Transport Armin Brunner. This positive feedback could be important for future traffic calming projects in the city.

The decision on the traffic closures not only has a direct impact on traffic routing, but also on the future planning of measures to improve the quality of life in the various parts of the city. Even if there are differences in the acceptance of the measures, the survey shows that there is a certain awareness of the needs of residents. More detailed information on the reasons for the different votes and their consequences can be found in the detailed reporting on www.meinkreis.at.