Federal court upholds Zurich rule on costs of bus measures

Zurich municipalities must pay for building measures needed to keep public transport running smoothly in 30 km/h zones, the Federal Supreme Court has ruled, rejecting an appeal by the city of Zurich. SRF reported the decision.

The rule is part of the Zurich cantonal parliament’s counterproposal to a public transport initiative, which it approved in April 2025. If a new 30 km/h zone slows a bus enough to disrupt its timetable, the municipality may have to pay for measures such as a new bus lane.

The city argued that it had not been properly consulted and that the rule conflicted with federal noise-protection requirements. It said municipalities might avoid introducing 30 km/h zones to escape the costs.

The court said the city had been heard at a meeting in August 2024, where representatives from Zurich and Winterthur and the municipal presidents’ association were invited to give their views. It also rejected the claim that the cost rule would prevent 30 km/h zones. The court said noise-protection requirements remained fully binding.

Zurich city councillor Simone Brander said the city regretted the decision but welcomed the court’s confirmation that noise protection remained binding. The city said the rule’s effect on roads requiring noise remediation would become clear in practice.

The dispute is separate from the city’s challenge to the cantonal Mobility Initiative, which shifted authority over speed limits on main roads from Zurich and Winterthur to the canton. In February 2026, the court ruled that the city’s appeal against the initiative would not suspend its implementation; the appeal itself has not yet been decided.