Contents
What is public transport density?
We’ve created a way to identify how public transport friendly a country is. The purple highlights all the areas of a country that can reach some sort of public transport service.
What can it be used for?
- Public transport network planning and development
- Travel plans - how easily can tourists explore the country using public transport
- Predicting commuting/travel habits in a local area
- Identifying the cause of road network congestion
How we built the map
We started by plotting every single public transport stop in Austria. Then we drew a 15 minute walking catchment area around each stop to capture anyone in the local area that needs to walk to a local train, bus or tram station.
How to read the map
The more purple the area is, the greater the public transport density of an area. The white areas show where public transport is not reachable.
What it shows us about Austria
- The white areas on the map in Austria are usually due to:
- Rural areas with no transport coverage in the area (road networks)
- Low population density - not enough local demand for public transport services
- Land usage - areas that are primary used for agriculture
- Geography - rivers, lakes and mountains
Combining public transport data layers with land usage and population levels helps us identify areas ripe for development.
Public transport density map limitations
- Transport timetables - it can appear that an area is not in need of transport development if it’s purple. However if the highlighted route only runs once a day, it’s not giving local residents a lot of transport connectivity.
The makeup of Austria’s transport system
Vienna’s tram network has been operating since 1865, and it is the seventh largest in the world. Austria’s train company ÖBB is one of the most reliable companies in Europe with a punctuality of around 97%. ÖBB claims that 100% of the electricity used on the railway is generated from renewable energy sources.
Our favourite Austria transport route
Tram number 1 in Vienna takes you around the city centre and many landmarks, such as the Habsburg Palace, Albertina Museum, Austrian National Library, Vienna City Hall, Vienna Opera House, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Austrian Parliament Building.
Our favourite stop & why
Hauptplatz/Congress bus and tram stop in the city of Graz. It is located in Hauptplatz – the Main Square of the city and is right in the centre of the Old Town, making it the prime location for sightseeing.
Next Steps
We have created one of Austria's largest public transport databases - and do the same for 100+ countries around the world. Explore our data further:
- Create your own travel time catchment area: see where's reachable within a travel time limit
- Try our API Playground: are you a developer? Explore the code behind our API
- Explore our products: see what's possible with TravelTime