Learning from the Experiences of Practitioners
Following opening remarks by Mayor of Hirschbach, Guntmar Müller, and host Barbara Calas-Reiberger of the Textile Factory, as well as a brief introduction to land.mobil:LAB, the first point on the agenda was a series of presentations. These presentations covered experiences, existing services, and support programs from both within and outside the region.
Barbara Calas-Reiberger began by introducing the textile factory, which is currently undergoing a major transformation. The former textile factory is set to be converted into a community housing project that will also incorporate shared mobility. Christoph Kirchberger then spoke about the mobility challenges in Hirschbach and rural regions in general, such as long distances and low population density, which make comprehensive public transportation unprofitable. Car-sharing, however, offers a cost-effective alternative for people in the region. As a concrete example, Renate Brandner-Weiß presented the existing e-car-sharing service offered by TRE Thayaland and also discussed other services in the Waldviertel region. Matthias Komarek from the Lower Austrian Energy and Environment Agency (eNu) spoke about the benefits and cost savings of e-mobility in everyday life and the practical implementation of charging stations in residential buildings in Lower Austria. Michael Pollak initiated the neighborhood car in Rafings and shared anecdotes about the idea behind it and how carsharing can also work in a low-threshold way in a village. Oliver Peck from TU Wien clarified the legal issues that arise when sharing a vehicle, such as insurance-related questions. In conclusion, Gloria Winkler from the mobility management Lower Austria explained how municipalities can raise awareness of mobility services such as car-sharing in their communities in order to attract a large number of users.
Discussion and Conclusion
During the second part of the program, participants had the opportunity to engage with the speakers at various stations. There were particularly lively discussions on communal living, e-mobility, and the legal feasibility of car-sharing. To conclude, the Mobility Barometer provided an interesting overview of the mobility habits of the event participants.
A big thank you to all participants and speakers, and especially to Barbara Calas-Reiberger and the municipality of Hirschbach for their wonderful cooperation and support.
What's Next
Did Mobility Monday leave you wanting more? The series will continue after the summer—next time with a focus on women's mobility.
The event was organized in collaboration with TU Wien, the municipality of Hirschbach, and the Hirschbach Textile Factory.
Do you have an idea or a project that could transform mobility in the Waldviertel region? We’d love to support you! Get in touch with us at hallo@landmobillab.at or book a consultation with us at www.landmobillab.at and become part of the LML community.
land.mobil:LAB is funded as part of the FTI Mobiltätswende program by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, administered by FFG Austrian Research Promotion Agency GmbH. land.mobil:LAB is part of the Mobility Lab Initiative in Austria.