Graz
Graz, Austria’s second most populous city, enters the 2025 ranking with remarkable results. As the city has developed, cycling has become a vital quality-of-life tool and a core pillar of its Sustainable Mobility Strategy. The result: everyday riding now is roughly 19% of the modal share, and the city hopes to hit 30% within 5 years.
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Through the Masterplan Radoffensive 2030 launched in 2019, Graz and the wider region adopted high-quality, best-practice standards intended for all cyclists, including vulnerable users and cargo bike riders. In order to increase cycling safety and efficiency, the city has rolled out a 30 km/h urban speed limit for two thirds of the city streets, delivered 130 km of cycle paths, and added 26,000 bicycle parking spaces. In parallel, the city has matched improvements in conditions for cyclists with comfort for pedestrians and developed quality public areas along the way. Next on the agenda is creating a major pedestrian and bicycle bridge linking the south-west and south-east neighborhoods, This will enable direct access to an important employment district and turn commutes into simple, direct bicycle rides.
Graz has combined infrastructure with support, education initiatives, subsidies and clear communication. Two decades of education and support have emphasized these aspects. The city established balance-bike training in kindergartens, a school mobility management program, bicycle playgrounds, and grants helping pupils purchase bicycles. They likewise implemented senior-focused cycling courses as they strived for cycling education to become clearly engrained as an important pillar across each generation. Clear, ongoing communication has kept residents involved via a dedicated city run website and newsletter which tracks projects, upcoming events and cycling updates. Recognizing that cycling is also about joy and placemaking, Graz created warm seasonal monthly group rides known as CityRadeln for 16 years starting in 2009 and drawing 39,000 participants. This year, the city official discontinued the event, announcing that its large scale had outgrown safe management, but noting it had met its goal to normalize everyday bicycle use in the city.
“ In Graz, all citizens are prepared for cycling as the city works to hit their 30% bicycle modal share goal by 2030. ”
To reach its bicycle modal share goal of 30% by 2030, Graz will need to pay special attention to the quality of new and existing cycling infrastructure as the volume of cyclists grows: wider tracks (accounting for cargo bike comfort), clearer intersections, and consistent protection. The objective is a network that feels uniformly comfortable at rush hour and on quiet neighborhood streets alike. With cycling already at 19%, the next gains will come from making cycling feel easy and safe all year round: reliable winter maintenance, good lighting and wayfinding, and more covered, secure parking. These improvements can surely turn occasional riders and even motorists into multi-season cyclists.
