Tulln in the tempo dilemma: Citizens decide on speed limits!

Tulln in the tempo dilemma: Citizens decide on speed limits!

Tulln, Österreich - in Tulln, the residents have the opportunity to decide on the speed limit in their residential areas. The vote concerns the districts of composer district and Langenlebarner district. This citizen survey takes place on the two Sundays, June 22nd and 29th. Around 1,520 people entitled to vote can hand in their votes, with around 570 and around 950 residents with their main residence in the composer district and in the Langenlebarner district. Anyone who is at least 16 years old by June 29 are entitled to vote. In the specific polling stations, kindergarten VIII in Konrad-Lorenz-Straße and Kindergarten VI in Hafenstraße, the citizens can hand over their voices between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Overall, voters can hand in two votes to determine the preferred speed between speed 30, speed 40 and speed 50. Mayor Peter Eisenschenk (ÖVP) supported the survey on civil co -determination in order to make a decision that is in the interests of the residents. Both districts have been part of a pilot project in recent years that aimed at traffic safety and compliance with speed limits.

results of the pilot project

In the composer district, a continuous signage has been available as a tempo 30 zone since 2021, which has proven to be effective. Before the project began, the vehicles drove between 30 and 37 km/h. However, the Langenlebarner district only introduced the speed limit as a model in 2024. There the speed was 50 km/h before the project started and dropped to 43.5 km/h during the project phase. This data prove the gradual reduction of speeds in both quarters, which were collected in the context of speed measurements.

The measurements refer to the "V85 speed", which indicates which speed 85% of the vehicles do not exceed. In the composer district there were only minor changes in speeds, while the decline in Langenlebarner was more important.

sustainability and speed limits

The introduction of speed limits is increasingly regarded as an important instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improvement in traffic safety. According to the Federal Environmental Office, general speeds on motorways and lowering the top speeds could show significant environmental effects. Studies show that, for example, a speed limit of 120 km/h on motorways could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.9 %.

In addition, it is recommended to introduce Tempo 30 as a regular speed in city centers. This measure could reduce noise and pollutant emissions and has proven to be effective in different cities. Simulations show clear noise relief and a reduction in air pollutants through speed 30.

The upcoming votes in Tulln are therefore not only a local method of participation in citizens, but also contribute to the global efforts to make sustainable mobility and traffic calming in urban areas. The results of the discussions and votes in the coming weeks will show how the citizens want to make their streets safer and more environmentally friendly.