Vienna relies on car bets: 31 participants dream of a car-free life!

Vienna relies on car bets: 31 participants dream of a car-free life!

An exciting bet about your own mobility has made waves in Vienna. As part of the “Car Bet” project, a total of 46 participants have the opportunity to go without their own car for three months. The aim is to try out alternative mobility offers and thereby increase the quality of life in the city. The reward for these efforts is impressive: around two thirds of the participants, a total of 31 people, can now imagine life without their car. The Wiener Linien, together with the Währing district and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, carried out this special experiment and collected comprehensive data on the use of alternatives. These will be published in a detailed report at the end of the year, while qualitative surveys are planned in autumn 2025 to gain even deeper insights. As 5min reports, the preliminary results show great potential: The project was positively received not only by the population but also by experts and received the VCÖ Mobility Prize in both Vienna and Austria in the “Sharing and multimodal mobility”.

But what is behind the success of this car bet? Silvia Nossek, the district leader of Währing, sees the project as not only reducing the number of cars, but also increasing the quality of life. More space for green spaces, less noise and better air are just some of the positive effects it shows. This assessment is also supported by the jury of the VCÖ Mobility Prize, which attests that the project has a high potential for imitation and emphasizes that alternative forms of mobility will be made more visible.

Mobility of the future

The car bet reflects a larger trend: the mobility transition that is being striven for in many cities. This change should not be seen as a renunciation, but rather as a new opportunity. The focus is on developing new mobility concepts and promoting environmentally friendly means of transport. As the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport emphasizes, cities and municipalities are the main actors in implementing these changes. The goal is clear: sustainable urban and transport planning that meets individual mobility needs and at the same time protects the environment.

With the car bet, Wiener Linien has taken a significant step towards presenting exactly such sustainable alternatives. The data collected from the study will help to design better transport offerings and implement targeted improvements in urban planning. To achieve all of this, it is crucial to use precise data to assess and optimize mobility in different parts of the city.

Insight into the mobility transition

The mobility transition includes several essential goals: the avoidance of motorized individual transport, the shift to environmentally friendly means of transport such as bicycles and public transport, and improvements through innovative technologies such as electrically powered vehicles. One example is the NaMIx project, which is developing an index to assess the sustainability of mobility in urban districts. Such concepts will ensure that cities remain livable in the future and that all residents can benefit from more effective and environmentally friendly mobility.

In summary, the car bet in Vienna shows how a simple experiment can not only raise awareness of alternative forms of mobility, but also pave the way for a more sustainable design of urban living spaces. The findings from this project could become a model for other cities that are also looking for the right path to the mobility future.