Stairway to health: motivational stair interventions increase stair use in Vienna metro stations

Urban mobility systems are expected to ensure accessibility while also offering opportunities for everyday physical activity. In practice, mechanized ascent aids such as escalators and elevators are widely used, which can reduce incidental physical activity and limit availability for people with mobility impairments. This study examined factors influencing ascent aid choice and assessed the effects of a low-cost stair-promotion intervention in three central metro stations in Vienna. Using a mixed-methods design, we combined observations of 30,862 passengers with short interviews conducted before and after the installation of humorous, positively framed stair-riser stickers. Baseline observations showed that escalators were the dominant mode of ascent, with stair use ranging from 7% to 26%, while elevators were primarily used for functional reasons. Following the intervention, stair use increased by four percentage points at two of the three stations. This corresponds to several thousand additional stair uses per day in a high-volume transit system. The effect was greater in women, who noticed the stickers significantly more often. Survey results indicate that humorous and positively framed messages were perceived as more motivating than purely informational or negatively framed approaches. Overall, findings suggest that simple, low-cost behavioral interventions can encourage incidental physical activity in everyday travel and ease pressure on mechanized ascent aids. The results provide insights for urban planners and public health policymakers seeking to integrate physical activity into daily commuting routines.