Vorarlberg and Salzburg lead Austria in cycling

People in Vorarlberg and Salzburg cycle more frequently than anywhere else in Austria, according to the “Active Mobility 2026” study by the Transport Ministry, cited on Friday by the Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ). ORF reported the findings.

Across Austria, 9 percent of people aged 16 and over cycle daily or almost daily, while 28 percent do so several times a week. Overall, 68 percent cycle at least occasionally.

Vorarlberg ranks first, with 20 percent cycling daily or almost daily, followed by Salzburg at 16 percent. Salzburg leads in cycling several times a week, at 39 percent, narrowly ahead of Vorarlberg at 38 percent. The lowest rate is in Upper Austria at 26 percent, followed by Lower Austria and Burgenland at 27 percent each.

People in the two western provinces also report particularly high levels of enjoyment. In both Vorarlberg and Salzburg, 61 percent of cyclists say they enjoy cycling very much. The national average is 52 percent, while Vienna records 46 percent.

“The newly published data show both the major differences between Austria’s provinces and the considerable potential for more cycling nationwide,” said VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger. He said cycling could improve transport’s climate performance and help reduce congestion and other traffic problems.

E-bikes becoming more common

Electric bicycles play an important role, according to the VCÖ. Forty percent of cyclists in Austria have already ridden an e-bike several times. The figure is 58 percent in Vorarlberg and 48 percent in Salzburg. Burgenland, Styria and Tyrol each record 45 percent, while Vienna stands at 27 percent.

The VCÖ said more than one million e-bikes had been sold in Austria over the past five years alone. For many people, using an e-bike affects their travel habits: Half of e-bike users cover longer distances with them, while four in ten cycle more often as a result.

All-purpose bicycles account for half of the bicycles in Austria, followed by mountain bikes at 33 percent and e-bikes at 29 percent. The latest survey recorded gravel bikes for the first time; 4 percent of households own one.

Among households with children under six, 56 percent have a way to transport children by bicycle. Of these households, 49 percent have a child seat, 19 percent a child trailer and 2 percent a cargo bike with the relevant equipment.

Short journeys to work and education

The VCÖ sees significant potential for greater bicycle use on daily journeys to work and places of education. Thirty-six percent of people in Austria live less than five kilometres from their workplace or educational institution, while 56 percent live less than 10 kilometres away. According to the study, only 19 percent of these journeys are currently made by bicycle.

At the same time, 75 percent of employed people and 81 percent of people in education own a bicycle and use it at least occasionally. Forty-six percent of cyclists say they would cycle more often if the number and quality of cycle paths improved.

The VCÖ is calling for more traffic calming in towns and cities and a faster expansion of the cycle-path network. Schwendinger said reducing speed limits from 50 to 30 kilometres per hour in municipalities and cities would be a low-cost measure to help more people cycle safely.

Outside built-up areas, he said, cycle paths could also be created at relatively low cost by narrowing excessively wide rural roads. The VCÖ cited the B83 road between Arnoldstein and Riegersdorf in Carinthia as an example.