Zürich: Managing the right combination of public transport

Abstract:

The case of transport policy in Zürich is of particular importance in demonstrating that the right combination of policies (car traffic constraints, integration of all modes of public transport, upgrading of, and priority for, bus and tram systems, parking policy etc.) can bring about a significantly higher public transport patronage than new capital-intensive systems serving only selected corridors. The introduction of segregated tram and trolley routes, as well as of bus lanes and bus-only access to pedestrianised areas, plus the setting up of computerised operational control systems and selective vehicle detection at 80% of the traffic signals on bus and tram routes, have enabled public transport patronage to remain buoyant. The Zürich transport policy is an outstanding example of a sustainable approach due to the following reasons:

• consistent promotion of public transport;
• reduction of motor vehicle transport;
• shifting of motor vehicle transport to main roads;
• traffic calming in residential areas;
• reduction of public car parking space;
• policy for environmentally friendly modes.

Concept and aims

In Zürich 170,000 of the workforce are commuting to work from the surrounding areas. Although the policy of an environmentally compatible transportat policy has been highly successful in the city centre, it is still a long way from reducing the environmental impact of car-driving within the conurbation. In contrast to the good transportat infrastructure in the city, the conurbation (the so- called hinterland) is very diffuse in nature (693 square kilometres) and strongly car-oriented. In 1991 the degree of motorization showed a significant difference between the city area with only 390 cars, and the hinterland with 470-560 cars 1,000 inhabitants. Between 1970 and 1990 the number on workdays car trips between 7 A.M. and 9 P.M. increased by 75%. In the same period the number of car-park places doubled to 204,000. In 1970 33% of car-park places were used by commuters, whereas in 1990 already 40% of car-park places were taken by commuters. In 1970 there had been one car park per 15 employees, whereas in 1990 there was one car park per 5 employees.

However, public transport has a long tradition. In the past Zürich has been a city of trams. The first routes had been inaugurated as early as the end of the last century (1882 "Rösslitram", 1894 first electrified tram). In 1897 the tram system was taken over by the municipality. Until the beginning of the 1930s the development of the city and the local public transport network went more or less hand in hand as the city grew concentrically around its old core and tram lines were built along the main arteries. At that time the tram network had 80 km. In the 1960s and 1970s the tram network was largely extended. In two separate plebiscites, the inhabitants of the city of Zürich rejected two major projects for underground public transport services: in 1962 for an underground tram line, and in 1973 for an underground railway line. In 1977, however, there was overwhelming acceptance for a 200 million Swiss francs loan designed to boost public transport. Preference was given to the existing bus and tram system in the city. In 1981 a suburban railway concept was approved in a canton plebiscite. The suburban railway network, which went into operation in 1990, covers a total of 320 km, taking in the whole canton and several adjacent municipalities. Nevertheless, the tram still forms the backbone of the public transport system, which in total captures nearly 40% of all journeys within the city and 76% of work and shopping journeys to the central area. This usage reflects both the high quality of public transport and the effects of a car-reducing policy.

Plans were already drawn up in the mid-1970s to level off, and if possible to reduce, the volume of private motorised traffic. However, such a far-reaching goal can only be achieved if a close-knit policy of urban transport development brings about a new quality of environmentally friendly means of transport. Therefore, in 1987 the Zürich transport policy took a similar approach to the highly successful traffic policy in Basle:

• extensive maintenance of the public transport system;
• measures in favour of walking and bicycle use;
• traffic calming in residential areas, and channelling of traffic along main roads;
• reduction of car parks, especially for commuters.

This policy was supported by the population. In 1987 opinion polls indicated a 61% approval for drastic measures against private motorised traffic.

These policies had been oriented towards the statutes of an Environmental Protection Act and the regulations on air quality control and noise prevention in 1986 and 1987. However, the policy of giving priority to less-noisy modes of transport requires a reduction in traffic of 50%, and in some areas up to 90% in order to reduce the ambient noise levels in the city from 70dB(A) to 65dB(A). On the regional level the air quality programme ( 1989) of the canton of Zürich also aspires to reduce the environmental impact of transport.

Implementation

At the beginning of the 1990s the City of Zürich reached a turning point in its traffic policy. On the one hand the metro system started in 1990, and on the other hand the new municipal transport plan (Beschleunigungsprogramm 2000) aimed to introduce new measures for the promotion of environmentally friendly modes. The outstanding element of travel management in Zürich is the simultaneous coming to terms with strategy and implementation in different traffic sectors. The following plans have been implemented:

1990 Line, the concept for the tramway system contains the following selective measures and themes:

• A metro link has to be within reach for all inhabitants of the city, improving the network of routes to the stations e.g. new or extended bus routes;
• New principles have been worked out for areas with poor public transport services which will offer all inhabitants a basic access to the public transport system. The basic standard is defined a public transport access point within 300 metres of the living and working places; a minimum time schedule of tram and bus between 6 A.M. and midnight, with the longest time interval of 30 minutes (also in the evenings and at weekends) on all routes; a maximum travelling time of one hour between any two stations in the city area, and the guarantee of a seat on public transport in off-peak time;
• New demand-oriented services like more space per passenger, shorter timetable intervals (6-8 minutes for most trams and buses), and extended routes in order to avoid change of modes.

In 1991 the concept for the integration of different modes (Beschleunigungsprogramm 2000) aimed to enhance the status of public transport by the following measures:

• In the public transport sector itself the extension of the existing tramway network, and the provision of P+R facilities for vehicles and bicycles, should contribute to a higher profile for public transport. The new Zürich traffic co-operation (Züricher Verkehrsverbund), a joint transport organisation, is co-ordinating the services and timetables of different operators on a network of 2,300 km. 40 transport operators in the Zürich conurbation have formed this organisation which requires all operators to work to a common timetable and fare system, so that door-to-door journeys are possible on a single ticket. Travel cards have been introduced and communication has improved between the operators and the users in a total of 180 communities. All these measures were part of a 250 million Swiss francs programme to improve public transport. As a result, patronage levels reached 470 trips per person p.a. in 1991 which is a 30% increase compared to the 1986 level.
• Commuting by car should be restricted by a change in the management of public space in favour of residents and short-term users, as well as by a general reduction of public parking space in the inner city. The latter includes the district-adjusted limitation of parking space for private use, and the creation of preferential car parks for small cars in residential areas. Furthermore, the reduction and channelling of car traffic should be achieved by the limitation on new road construction projects, the channelling of through traffic via main roads, the ban on transit traffic from residential areas, and the calming of traffic by the introduction of extensive 30 kph speed limit zones in selected residential areas.
• This policy of restricting car movements will also be implemented by a redistribution of road space in favour of public transport and pedestrians. In Zürich, the introduction of bus lanes, bus-only access to pedestrianised areas, segregated tram tracks and trolley routes, computerised operational control systems, and selective vehicle detection at 80 % of the traffic signals on bus and tram routes, has enabled public transport patronage to remain buoyant.

Results and Impacts

With over 300 million passengers a year, public transport has retained its role as the predominant mode of travel. From 1985 to 1990, when the metro was opened, use of municipal transport services increased by over 30% to a level of 470 public passenger transport trips per inhabitant per year. The number of available seats in the pubic transport systems rose by 20% at peak time.

With the opening of the metro (S-Bahn) in 1989 the programme makers planned to reduce the capacity for private motorised traffic on main roads by 10-15% (mainly by less car parks). Local public transport accounted for 33% of all journeys undertaken in the city in 1989, and for 18% of journeys in the canton. Public transport is used for 80% of journeys in the inner city, and for 50% of journeys from the suburbs and hinterland into the city.

In 1993 a pedestrian survey in the inner city revealed that in most cases the shopping journeys by city inhabitants to the inner city were made by public transport (74%), whereas non-motorised traffic accounts for 22% and the private cars have a marginal share of 4%. Even if the figures include the customers from outside the area, only 11% of the customers approach the area by car.

Source of Information

Wichmann, Manfred 1991: Oslo, Bologna und Zürich - Modelle zum Schutz der Kommunen vor dem Verkehrsinfakt? -, in: Stadt und Gemeinde, Nr.1, S. 7-17

Apel, Dieter / Pauen-Höppner, Ursula 1992: Neue Verkehrskonzepte großer Städte, Arbeitshefte Umweltverträglicher Stadtverkehr:, Nr. 3, Berlin

Whitelegg, John 1993: Transport for a sustainable future: the case for Europe, London

Baumheier, Ralph 1993: Kommunale Umweltvorsorge. Chancen und Probleme präventiver Umweltpolitik auf der kommunalen Ebene am Beispiel der Energie- und Verkehrspolitik, Basel

Ott, Ruedi 1993: Stadtverkehr Zürich: Umweltverbund als optimale Erschließung der Stadt, in: Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrradclub Berlin e.V., (Hg.), Fahrrad und Stadt. Tagungsband zum Kongreß anläßlich des festival des pedaleurs, Berlin, S. 29-37

Schmerbach, Torsten 1994: Der schweizerische Umweltschutz im Konflikt zwischen Verkehrsplanung und städtischer Wohnqualität, in: Raumforschung und Raumordnung, 5. Jg., Nr.3, S. 222-228

Stadt Zürich 1994: Verkehrspolitik der Stadt Zürich, Zürich

OECD (ed.) 1995: Urban travel and sustainable development, Paris

City of Zürich, Environmental Protection Unit (ed.) 1995: Environmental Policy of the City of Zürich - Local Agenda 21 -, Zürich

Contact:

Cities:

Zürich :

The city of Zürich, with 356,000 inhabitants, is part of a conurbation of some 900,000 people. While population within the city fell over the years by 40% at the beginning of the 1990s, employment has increased from 290,000 in 1965 to more than 360,000 in 1991. In particular, office and retail activities contribute in large part to make Zürich a centre for the service and financial sector. Zürich has a university and several colleges of higher professional training. The city covers an area of 92 square kilometres, and the compact structure of the buildings in the heart of the city has been largely maintained.

Population:

Project was added at 21.06.1996
Project was changed at 27.06.1996

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