Motor traffic dominates Swiss city streets, analysis finds

Motorised traffic including cars, buses and trams occupies by far the most space on streets in the Swiss cities examined, according to an analysis by technology company goNEON for SRF News.

Sidewalks account for the next-largest share. Cycle lanes and separated cycle paths consistently take up only 3% to 4% of the available space.

Parking spaces in public street areas generally occupy more space than cycle lanes, although there are significant exceptions. Plans in some cities suggest that this could change in the coming years.

The analysis compared different approaches in Bern, Zurich, Zug and Geneva. goNEON is a Zurich-based technology company that develops software for planning physical infrastructure. Its software links spatial data, technical guidelines and local regulations to support infrastructure planning.

In Bern, the overall share of space devoted to sidewalks is relatively low. Much of the city lies outside the historic centre and resembles the Felsenau residential neighbourhood, where nearly three-quarters of the public street space is used for carriageways and about one-fifth for sidewalks. Parking spaces run along smaller streets, while cycle lanes follow larger roads.

Swiss-wide standards govern aspects of street design, such as sidewalk widths, but cities also have their own planning practices and guidelines. Lukas Ballo, a co-founder of goNEON, said these guidelines can strongly influence how a city develops. Small differences in required widths can determine whether street parking remains available or must be removed for safety reasons.

Bern often ranks highly for bicycle-friendliness, even though its cycle lanes do not occupy more space than those in other cities. The analysis shows that Bern’s cycle routes are well connected. The city’s cycling transport plan gives high priority to a coherent cycle network, while other factors include suitable bicycle parking and safe traffic guidance where cycle routes cross tram tracks.

The findings also show that the amount of space is not the only factor; how it is used is important as well. Cyclists need a continuous network, drivers need direct routes, capacity and speed, pedestrians want wide sidewalks, and residents may seek more green space or parking.

In Zurich, pedestrians have more space in the city centre than in outer districts. The pattern is reversed for motorised traffic, whose carriageways occupy more space in the outer parts of the city.

Zurich aims to become climate-neutral by 2040. Its mobility strategy therefore plans to reduce space for private motorised transport in favour of public transport, walking and cycling.