A tram passes quickly through an intersection (long exposure, blurred contours). The cars are stationary.

More speed for buses and trams: acceleration campaign for Vienna's public transport

Public transport is very popular in Vienna: around 34% of journeys made by Viennese residents are by tram, bus and underground. To ensure that this figure continues to rise in future and that public transport in Vienna becomes even more attractive, the City of Vienna and Wiener Linien are jointly launching a large-scale acceleration campaign.

Public transport to become even more attractive

Although Wiener Linien has already done a lot to ensure that buses and trams can travel quickly through the city, public transport is still frequently slowed down:

  • On average, four times a day, illegally parked cars block our buses and trams. Public transport can only pass once the vehicle has been removed. This results in delays, disrupted intervals and many angry public transport passengers.
  • Vehicles that turn immediately in front of a tram or cross the road force the tram to brake, causing delays.
  • In road traffic, buses leaving a stop often have to wait until they can merge into the flow of traffic, or they get stuck in traffic jams.

Speeding up public transport

With its dense network, frequent intervals and high reliability, Vienna is internationally regarded as a model for public transport. Delegations from all over the world look to the Vienna model. The acceleration campaign now marks the next step in quality and efficiency. In future, buses and trams will only stop at bus stops where possible and will otherwise be able to travel quickly along the route. Under the motto ‘More speed for buses and trams’, experts and departments of the City of Vienna and Wiener Linien are working together on a large-scale acceleration initiative. This expands the ‘Netz erst recht!’ initiative, because a stable, reliable operating network consists of both modern infrastructure and a reliable service.

Priority for many instead of congestion for all

We are analysing 29 tram lines and 135 bus lines to find ways to speed up travel. We are implementing targeted measures to ensure that public transport passengers can get around faster. Plans include additional traffic light priority and green waves for buses and trams, the elimination of critical public transport bottlenecks, the adjustment of turning lanes for motorised private transport, and the creation of additional dedicated bus and tram lanes.

Measures already implemented to speed up travel:

  • Priority at traffic lights: Three quarters (75%) of all traffic lights in Vienna used by public transport already switch to green for buses or trams. Since 2024 alone, 40 new priority systems have been added.
  • Dedicated lanes: Half of all tram routes run on dedicated lanes.
  • Reducing illegal parking hotspots: While 3,600 illegal parkers were counted in 2010, the figure has recently levelled off at around 1,500. This corresponds to a reduction of 60%.

  • Penalties for illegal parking: The penalty for illegally parked cars blocking buses or trams has been increased again following the 2023 adjustment. Since 1 January 2026, illegal parking costs €467.

Turning illegal parking hotspot into liveable green spaces

Our picture gallery shows what it looks like when illegal parking hotspots are eliminated, using the example of Kreuzgasse in the 18th district: where cars used to jam and block the tram, flowers now bloom and trees provide shade. The elimination of illegal parking hotspots not only pleases public transport passengers, but also has many advantages for local residents. This can also be seen in Camillo-Sitte-Gasse in the 15th district: where cars used to be parked (illegally) or stuck in traffic jams, there are now green spaces. The concrete and asphalt road has been unsealed and planted with tall shrubs. Wider pavements, a drinking fountain and four benches make it a pleasant place to spend time. Asphalt and traffic jams have been transformed into liveable green space.

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