Zurich
UMR Index
Score: 69.1%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 59.9%
Public Transit
Score: 74.0%
| Population | 1.2 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 243 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 4,859 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 113,754 |
What Zurich Does Well in Urban Mobility
Zurich has a strong, diverse multimodal public transport system, which is known for its efficiency, affordability, and stations that are almost always within easy walking distance. Those features vaulted the city into the second-place spot on the public transit sub-index for the second consecutive year. These strengths contribute to a 41% share of total transportation volume for its public transit network. Zurich sought to strengthen its multimodal offerings even further in 2023, by piloting an all-in-one trip planner app that routes travel by public transport, bike, car, or walking.
The city also is home to a network of well-maintained and interconnected roadways with relatively few road-related fatalities. Zurich is undergoing a 2030 project to lower speed limits to roughly 30 kilometers per hour (18 miles per hour). As of 2022, the Swiss city had reduced the speed limit on about 40 kilometers (25 miles) of road, leading to a perceived improvement in traffic safety.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Zurich’s Transportation System
Zurich is not home to a thriving ride-share sector, with low usage rates. The city is also challenged by a low walking and cycling modal split, although Zurich’s 2030 plan includes the construction of more cycling routes, reducing motor vehicle speeds, and making cyclists a priority at traffic lights.
Despite previous government investments in connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies, Zurich still lags behind its European peers in CAV pilot programs. The city’s public transport agency held an early-stage demonstration of a driverless electric bus for last mile transit in 2018; however, they have been slow to develop and expand this technology into other autonomous mobility programs or initiatives in the years since.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Zurich Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
Zurich's cycling infrastructure could be improved to make the city more hospitable to cyclists. Installing dedicated bike lanes with safety dividers on main roadways and maintaining them during the winter months would be immensely helpful to increasing cycling modal share. Bikes are permitted on public transit for a fee; however, they are not welcomed during peak travel hours. Relaxing the price and time restrictions would permit more cyclists to utilize public transit and cycling for commuting to and from work during business hours. Lastly, expanding the offerings of Zurich's 'Züri rollt' free city bike service with more stations and bikes, and year-round options could further support cyclists throughout the city. The city plans for a separate, larger-scale bike-sharing operation to begin operating in November 2023.
Zurich's EV charging network is still developing. To offer a world-class network like Amsterdam’s, it would need to accelerate the deployment of charging stations to multiply its charging station density by threefold. The city can target this gap by increasing government-backed investments in public charging stations and subsidizing at home station implementation.