ÖVPriorisierung

ÖV-Priorisierung, written as ÖV-Priorisierung or sometimes rendered as ÖVPriorisierung, is a policy concept in urban mobility that denotes prioritizing public transport over private motorized traffic in planning, infrastructure, and operations. The term is used in transport and city-planning discussions to describe measures that make buses, trams, and regional rail faster, more reliable, and more attractive than car travel.

The rationale behind ÖV-Priorisierung is to improve mobility outcomes while reducing negative externalities. By strengthening public transport, cities aim to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce congestion, cut noise, and enhance accessibility for residents, including those with limited car access. The approach also seeks to support compact, walkable urban development and to promote social inclusion by improving access to jobs, services, and education.

Common instruments associated with ÖV-Priorisierung include dedicated or prioritized lanes for buses and trams, priority at traffic signals, reduced or integrated fares, coordinated timetables, and expansion of high-quality transit networks. Complementary tools may involve parking management, urban restructuring to favor transit-oriented development, and pricing mechanisms to discourage car use in congested areas.

Debates regarding ÖV-Priorisierung typically address trade-offs between transit speed and car convenience, the financial cost of infrastructure, and the distributional effects on different user groups. Proponents argue that well-designed prioritization yields time savings for thousands of riders and long-term urban and environmental benefits, while critics caution about potential disruptions during construction and the need for equitable implementation.

Contextual note: the term is widely used in German-speaking policy discourse; to avoid confusion with references to a political party, it is often best written as ÖV-Priorisierung.