Obere Neutorgasse Bicycle Street

Concept development and design of a temporary bicycle street

As part of large tram construction works in the city centre of Graz, Obere Neutorgasse became a key detour route for cyclists. A 200-metre section had to be quickly converted into a temporary bicycle street. Artgineering was commissioned by the City of Graz to support the process and to develop a spatial concept and design principles for the new bicycle street. Based on an international best-practice analysis, key elements of successful bicycle streets were identified – including the right carriageway width, a side or central strip for visual orientation, and complementary infrastructure elements and their targeted placement. Several design variants for the transformation of Obere Neutorgasse were developed and coordinated with relevant stakeholders. The starting point was to leave existing infrastructure such as curbs and drainage untouched for cost reasons, while already positioning new trees so that they could remain in place in the event of a future permanent redesign. For implementation, existing on-street parking was removed and replaced with unsealed surfaces featuring tree plantings, seating, and bicycle parking facilities. On one side of the street, loading zones and accessible parking spaces were also integrated. The carriageway itself was divided into two bicycle lanes by a colourful, playfully designed central strip. After the typical initial scepticism, the temporary bicycle street is now very well accepted by both cyclists and local businesses.

Location: Graz, Austria
Client: City of Graz / Department of Urban Planning
Partner: Integral ZT
Year: 2024