Grand opening of underground garage at Neuer Markt Vienna
Best in Parking AG has opened another garage in Vienna's historic city centre, at the heart of the newly designed, pedestrian friendly Neuer Markt, exemplifying a successful model of modern parking management. The new garage was sustainably built and equipped with high-quality technologies, lighting and guidance systems.
Vienna, 6. September 2022. For decades, the Neuer Markt has been an uninviting place lacking structure, crammed with cars and at the mercy of public traffic, used as a landing pad for construction sites in the surrounding area, and with little space for pedestrians. The construction of the underground parking garage has now transformed the square and the surrounding areas into an urban living room with 10,000 m2 of newly designed space. This makes the Neuer Markt project undoubtedly one of the largest transformation projects in Vienna's inner city.
The garage, with total investment costs of around Є60 million, has now been ceremoniously opened after three and a half years of construction. Conveniently accessible via Albertinaplatz and Tegetthoffstrasse, the site offers 364 car and 39 single-lane parking spaces spread across four underground levels. With its “Best in Mobility” concept, Best in Parking has also constructed 24 charging stations for e-vehicles (“e-charging”). Pedestrians can reach the garage using two lifts as well as stairways at the south end and the centre of the square next to the Donnerbrunnen.
“We support Austrian cities and cities abroad in developing optimal mobility concepts designed to increase the quality of life in inner cities. We have already implemented such projects in 40 cities,” explains Johann Breiteneder, CEO of Best in Parking AG. “Motorised private transport is and will remain an important part of the mobility mix, so it is crucial that we find sustainable solutions that benefit people and the environment. The days of stressful, pollutant-producing searches for parking spots are over. The city becomes greener and more liveable. The limited space in our cities is no longer jammed with cars but becomes usable as inner-city space again.”
A pedestrian Zone to stay awhile
The redesign project, carried out in cooperation with the City of Vienna, has now awarded the Neuer Markt a pedestrian and green zone along with a relaxing promenade lined with shade trees, slanted flower beds, misters and a water feature that invites residents and visitors to stay awhile. With the elimination of parking spaces and the new, light-coloured granite pavement, the square stays cool and saves heat at the same time. The Donnerbrunnen and its bronze figures were also restored and remain the visual highlight of the square. Only the vital bus connection 2A will be routed into a single lane across part of the square to Plankengasse. The entrances and exits can be found on Tegetthoffstrasse, where the pavements were generously extended. Albertinaplatz was also upgraded during the reconstruction, and now boasts expansive pedestrian areas and four green islands to be subsequently planted with trees. The goal of creating a parallel axis to Kärntnerstrasse was thus successfully achieved.
Businesses and residents were involved in all phases of the planning and construction of the underground car park, and the structures of subway line 1 were also integrated. Special attention was paid to creating a sustainable, durable construction model with a state-of-the-art technical infrastructure. The necessary functions of the garage, such as the entrance and exit, ventilation and access pathways, were adapted to the urban space and the constraints of monument preservation.
A garage built around the Smart City model
“Structures in densely built-up inner cities make for very demanding planning and execution phases, especially when these structures are located in the public space, which is basically intended for higher-value use,” explains Johann Breiteneder. “The goal of the project was to create infrastructure for motorised individual transport, to raise the appeal of the inner city, to increase the quality of life in this densely built-up area, and to foster a cleaner climate. Entirely in line with the requirements of a modern smart city.”
Smart cities reduce pollution and improve the climate footprint and appeal of the cityscape through sustainable infrastructure measures. Parking and mobility solutions are one of the most important cornerstones of a “smart” and climate-friendly city. Underground parking facilities act as a hub for sustainable mobility services.
Digital solutions are also a vital part of sustainable parking concepts. To improve the customer experience, Best in Parking developed the “Bmove” app. This app makes parking faster and more convenient through contactless entry and exit via license plate recognition and mobile payment through a “pay-by-use” function. This innovative solution is now also available in the newly opened Neuer Markt garage (www.bmove.com) and enables short-term parking at particularly attractive prices, such as Є2.20 for the first hour of parking (analogous to the short-term parking zone on the top level), Є3.50 for subsequent hours and an evening flat rate of Є6 between 6 p.m. and midnight. Residents of the square can use long-term parking spaces in the Neuer Markt garage at a reduced price of Є189/month. This comprehensive concept allows the garage to support surrounding retail trade customers by offering affordable parking.
fLTR Johann Breiteneder, Toni Faber, Jürgen Czernohorszky, Ulli Sima, Michael Ludwig, Markus Figl, Karl-Heinz Strauss und Walter Ruck