The evening was devoted to the topic of “mobility in everyday life.” The aim was to find practical solutions for situations in which no car is available at short notice or no driver's license is available.

Discussion round with exchange of experiences
After welcoming remarks by the mayor of Groß Gerungs and the KLAR regional manager, as well as a brief introduction to land.mobil:LAB, a panel discussion followed as the first item on the agenda. Mobility solutions from within and outside the region were presented, experiences were discussed, and the tasks of key players were introduced. The participants learned about exciting perspectives from practice, civil society, and local authorities – thanks to:

• Roland Rogner, municipal councilor and mobility officer in Groß Gerungs
• Andreas Zeiner, EMIL (association-based transport services in rural areas)
• Elisabeth Wiesmüller, Zeitpolster Zwettl (care and provision network)
• Johann Buxbaum, Chairman of the Lower Austrian Senior Citizens' Association Altmelon (transport service)

The projects presented met with great interest. Many were particularly interested in the question of how neighborhood initiatives can be implemented in practice. There was a clear focus on the mobility of older people. The exchange of experiences with volunteer transport services and self-organized networks provided important impetus for further discussion. The panel emphasized that, in addition to mobility, these initiatives and services also have an important social aspect.

Workshop and exchange

In the second part of the program, participants sat in groups and defined important routes and locations in the region, identified limitations, and considered possible solutions.

The participants identified visits to the doctor, errands, and social contacts as essential destinations that are often difficult to reach due to long distances and a lack of car availability. The solutions prioritized were the expansion of volunteer transport services, better networking of existing services, and organized neighborhood assistance.

The focus is on complementary cooperation to ensure mobility and social participation for all age groups. The valuable contributions will now serve as a starting point for further consideration.

In addition, posters from two bachelor's theses by spatial planning students at TU Wien invited further reflection on the connection between mobility and medical care in rural areas.

The participants defined visits to the doctor, errands, and social contacts as essential goals that are often difficult to achieve due to long distances and a lack of car availability. The solutions prioritized were the expansion of volunteer transport services, better networking of existing services, and organized neighborhood assistance. The focus is on complementary cooperation to ensure mobility and social participation for all age groups.

Conclusion

A relaxed conclusion provided an opportunity for further discussion and networking, which was well utilized by all. The mobility barometer provided an interesting overview of the mobility behavior of the event participants.

A big thank you to all participants and in particular to the mayor of Groß Gerungs, Christian Laister, the KLAR regional manager for the Waldviertel highlands, Roswitha Haghofer, and Franz Binder, chairman of the Lower Austrian Seniors Association for the Zwettl district, for their excellent cooperation and support.

Outlook

Mobility Monday has whetted our appetite for more! The series will continue before the summer – next time with a focus on car sharing.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Vienna University of Technology, the municipality of Groß Gerungs, Lower Austrian Seniors – Zwettl District, Hilfswerk, and KLAR! Waldviertler Hochland.

Do you have an idea or project that could change mobility in the Waldviertel region? We would be happy to support you! Connect with us on LinkedIn or at hallo@landmobillab.at and become part of the LML community.

The land.mobil:LAB is funded as part of the FTI program “Mobilitätswende” by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, administered by FFG Austrian Research Promotion Agency. The land.mobil:LAB is part of the Mobility Laboratory Initiative in Austria.