Residents in Döbling fight against noise waves and McDonald's pop-up!

Residents in Döbling fight against noise waves and McDonald's pop-up!

Residents on Heiligenstädter Straße in Döbling are paying attention when it comes to noise and the planned new McDonald's building. Martin, 32, is one of many who are woken up every night by sounds reminiscent of gunshots. These come from tuned vehicles that are used as a race track by the so-called roadrunners. Residents have been suffering from engine noise, honking and loud music for years. A circumstance that not only disturbs the night's sleep, but also significantly affects the quality of life, as Kurier reports.

Now McDonald's plans to build a new restaurant on a vacant lot next to a gas station from 2026. During this renovation work, a pop-up restaurant will operate for around seven months, but without a dining room or parking spaces. “This will definitely attract more people racing down the street,” fears Hanna, 33, who founded a citizens’ initiative and started a signature campaign. Over 200 signatures have already been collected because many residents were not sufficiently informed about the project and had no opportunity to file a complaint, as Exxpress describes.

Concerns from residents

The deadline for complaints has already passed, but the residents did not give up. A meeting with district leader Daniel Resch from the ÖVP is planned for November. At an initial hearing, concerns about noise pollution and road safety were raised; It is assured that no windows are planned for residential development. The drive-in's opening hours are until 2 a.m., further fueling residents' concerns.

Noise pollution from tuned vehicles is particularly pronounced in the region. The FPÖ regularly raises the issue in the National Council and the Vienna City Council. Hubert Fuchs and Klemens Resch (both FPÖ) criticize the city and interior ministries' failure to solve this problem sustainably. The hotspot, Heiligenstädter Straße, is described by politicians as a place of massive noise pollution and dangerous driving, which has been causing great difficulties for residents for years. Concrete measures are required to finally improve the situation.

Measures against noise pollution

Since October 17th, there has been an absolute ban on parking next to the gas station every Friday and Saturday night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. in order to prevent the Roadrunner scene from parking. In addition, increased checks are being carried out by the police. However, the problem is quite extensive: around 75% of the population feels disturbed by road traffic noise, as the Federal Environment Agency reports. In order to control the noise level, speed limits and quieter vehicles are necessary.

It remains to be seen whether and how the residents in Döbling will soon find peace. The fatigue caused by chronic noise and the clash between residents and new building plans are on the brink and show how important the voice of residents is in such decision-making processes.