How should Switzerland relieve congestion on its motorways?

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I manage a multilingual team responsible for covering the Swiss Abroad, providing them with the information they need to participate in political life in Switzerland. After studying political science in Neuchâtel and Bern, I started out in multimedia journalism at SwissTXT and RTS. Since 2008, I've been working at SWI swissinfo.ch, where I've held various journalistic and management positions.

Deutsch

Welche Massnahmen sind nötig, um die Schweizer Autobahnen zu entlasten?
Français

Quelles mesures faut-il prendre pour désengorger les autoroutes suisses? Original
Italiano

Cosa va fatto per decongestionare le autostrade svizzere?
Español

¿Qué medidas deben tomarse para descongestionar las autopistas suizas?

On November 24 Swiss voters will decide on a government proposal to finance six motorway expansion projects aimed at improving congestion on the roads. It includes plans to widen one of the country’s major motorways to at least six lanes in key stretches between Bern and Zurich and between Geneva and Lausanne.

The overall proposal is set to cost CHF5.3 billion ($6.2 billion).

Is such an investment really necessary to cope with the increase in traffic? Or is it a waste of money and incompatible with Switzerland’s climate objectives, as some critics say?

Let us know your thoughts below. We want to hear your opinions.

Swiss Politics

Voters to decide on major Swiss motorway expansion

This content was published on Oct 22, 2024 A referendum has been launched against the six-lane extension of the A1 motorway. Swiss voters will have their say on November 24.

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Jorg Hiker 2024-12-20 22:59

Most countries. from Malaysia to Poland, have now better motorways than Switzerland. This harms both industry, economy and citizens standard of living.

The Tomatoes 2024-11-30 09:47

Make train cheaper and more frequent/less crowded

Eddi 2025-04-14 12:07

@The Tomatoes

They are still over crowded over Easter period

GSAE 2024-11-28 13:57

Promoting and (even better) incentivizing the companies to offer more flexible working conditions to their employers might be the only sustainable solution for relieving congestion. Home office's main undeniable advantages are that: (a) it can benefit the entire society financially (both for employees and employers), environmentally (less cars circulating), and socially (better personnal/professional life balance), and (b) it can bring all these benefits almost from one day to the other without painful transition periods and high investment costs.
Of course, there is still an added value on the physical presence and interaction among team members. This can be addressed with a limited presence at the office specific days of the week or month. With the 40% of the employees in Switzerland being able to work remotly, just 2-3 days per week of home office can already result to 20% less traffic.
There is indeed always the risk that some people will work less but this is a management issue. If the managers cannot assess whether their employees are deliverying what they should, it is not the physical presence that is going to solve that (people can be at the office and checking facebook or commenting on articles in swissinfo...).
Also, there is the critisim of the social (in)justice since not everyone can work from home. Reducing even 10% of the cars from the street can make the life of people that have to go to work even better.

Balance 2024-11-28 08:57

The problem of traffic jams occurs at peak time traffic, on motorways and trains. Spreadind traffic flow into offpeak periods would solve many of the problems.
If lorries could travel at night. If large employers like hospitals and factories and civil servants changed shift beginnings and ends to off peak times.
Also reduce the number of unnecesary road trips by taxing fuel, thus forcing road users to be more efficient in their travel useage.
This will encourage decentraliation of traders to reduce travel costs and ultimately excessive travelling.

MeerOss 2024-11-28 14:09

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

@Balance

Night-time traffic for lorries could significantly relieve the motorways during the day. This approach is used in some countries and works.

Der Nachtverkehr für Lastkraftwagen könnte die Autobahnen tagsüber erheblich entlasten. Dieser Ansatz wird in einigen Ländern angewandt und funktioniert.

dariogia@gmail.com 2024-11-27 07:12

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

The people have expressed their will. Now it is up to politicians to realise that further exaggerated population growth will only worsen traffic, in the absence of medium-term private mobility alternatives. Disincentive taxes? Usage-dependent taxes? Modification of classic working hours? Enhancement of teleworking? Heavy transit traffic has actually decreased, but internal traffic has increased (also due to the increasing import of consumer goods). Magic solutions are not available.

Il popolo ha espresso la sua volontà. Ora sta alla politica capire che l'aumento ulteriore esagerato della popolazione non potrà che peggiorare il traffico, in assenza di alternative a medio termine di mobilità privata. Tasse disincentivanti? Tasse in funzione dell'utilizzo? Modifica degli orari classici di lavoro? Potenziamento del telelavoro? Il traffico pesante di transito è realmente diminuito, ma è aumentato quello interno (anche a causa dell'importazione in aumento di beni di consumo). Soluzioni magiche non sono disponibili.

rossat.jf 2024-11-21 23:15

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

In any case, if the train has photovoltaic tracks, don't entrust the project to B. Piccard

En tout cas, si le train a voies photovoltaïques, surtout ne pas confier le projet à B. Piccard

rossat.jf 2024-11-20 00:15

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

motorways need to be widened and new ones built.
Switching to rail is expensive and poorly served

il faut élargir les autoroutes et en construire de nouvelles.
Passer au rail est cher et mal desservi

iolyx 2024-11-18 09:11

5.3 billion could be used to redesign cities and improve public transit and promote other forms of mobility (like cycling which is made possible by densification and redesigning road infrastructure). I’m pretty sure this would reduce traffic way more than an extra lane

jepyerly@websud.ch 2024-11-16 10:48

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Motorways are essential for people living in rural areas. Especially as shops, post offices, banks and leisure facilities are all located in towns. But the towns don't want the cars, and therefore the inhabitants of the outlying regions.
Remedies: Limit this excessive immigration; don't allow factories to be set up that require more than 30% foreign staff. To avoid the cities, relocate shops, doctors, hospitals, post offices and higher education establishments to the countryside.
Switzerland is a small country, with lots of rocks, lakes and forests. This concentration of buildings and inhabitants will very quickly create serious ecological problems, lack of water, food and infrastructure. The short-term money of a few will ruin the lives, health and well-being of the whole population.
At the international political level, we need to intervene in African countries so that these populations can live decently with their families. In other words, put an end to the corruption of heads of state, promote contraception and find agricultural solutions to feed the people.

Les autoroutes, sont indispensables pour les habitants des régions rurales. D'autant plus que commerces, postes, banques, loisirs se passent en ville. Mais les villes , ne veulent plus les voitures et donc les habitants des régions périphériques.
Remèdes : Limiter cette trop forte immigration ; Ne pas laisser implanter des usines qui nécessitent plus de 30 % de personnel étranger. Pour éviter les villes, remettre commerces, médecins, hôpitaux , postes PTT; écoles supérieures, à la campagne.
La Suisse est un petit Pays, avec beaucoup de rochers, de lacs, de forêts. Cette concentration de constructions, d'habitants, va très rapidement créer de graves problèmes écologiques, manque d'eau, de nourriture, d'infrastructures. Le fric à court terme de quelques uns, va ruiner la vis, la santé et le bien-être de l'ensemble de la population.
Au niveau Politique internationale, intervenir dans les Pays africains, afin que ces populations puissent vivre décemment avec leurs familles. Soit, mettre fin à la corruption des chefs d’États , favoriser la contraception ; trouver des solutions agricoles pour nourrir les peuples.

Meggen 2024-11-15 19:07

I know that in the area of my small town there has been a building boom with apartments buildings going up everywhere. Most are giant ugly things with little interest in the beauty of the town, as well Virgin land is being covered up where towns are enjoying less and less green and more an more concrete. I wonder how much more will come and where are all these people ar coming from to take up residence in all these new apartment buildings?

In my small town, the access to our two lane main road is the only exit we have and we have seen an enormous increase of traffic. Do we have to now enlarge our two-lane main road for more and more traffic or shall we stop adding to our population? The question is how many more people can Switzerland afford to add before it becomes all concrete and roads.

morenourietti@gmail.com 2024-11-15 16:24

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I am of the opinion that offers and routes by public transport, such as metros, should be enhanced. In Ticino, for example, we have long since lost the train that would connect the various cities by metro, and I believe that other cantons are no less.
Another consideration that needs to be thought about is work from home for those who can do it, this should be enhanced. We have the technology to be able to realise this. For the costs, the already existing revenues should be converted to build more public infrastructure. Not by making roads but by upgrading the public network, as I said above. I would also agree to pay the motorway vignette of 100 fr per year. Then too much centralisation of offers and infrastructure must also be considered, it generates traffic.

Sono dell'avviso che bisognerebbe potenziare offerte e vie di transito tramite mezzi pubblici, come ad esempio le metropolitane. In Ticino ad esempio si è perso da tempo il treno che collegasse tramite un metropolitana le diverse città, e credo che altri cantoni non siano di meno.
Un'altra considerazione che va pensata è il lavoro da casa per chi lo può fare, questo dovrebbe essere potenziato. Abbiamo la tecnologia per poter realizzare tali condizioni. Per i costi, le già entrate attuali, devono essere convertite per costruire di più infrastrutture pubbliche. Non facendo strade ma potenziare la rete pubblica, come ho detto sopra. Sarei anche d'accordo nel pagare la vignetta autostradale di 100 fr all'anno. Poi va pensata anche la troppa centralizzazione di offerte e infrastrutture, genera traffico.

sifredihot 2024-11-14 13:46

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

The solution is obviously technological and the construction of Swiss metros (technologies that already exist in China and Japan!). Cars take up a lot of floor space and carry very few people! What's more, the speed limit on motorways is 120 km/h for obvious safety reasons, and all vehicles travel at 120 km/h on motorways, making it impossible to overtake. Widening motorways does nothing to improve traffic flow or reduce congestion.

La solution est évidemment technologique et la construction de Swiss métro (technologies déjà existantes en Chine et au Japon !). Les voitures occupent beaucoup d’espace au sol et transportent peu de personnes ! De plus, la vitesse est limitée à 120 km/h sur les autoroutes pour des raisons évidentes de sécurité et tous les véhicules roulent à 120 km/h sur les autoroutes et il est impossible de dépasser ; l’élargissement des autoroutes n’accroît pas la fluidité du trafic et à réduire les embouteillages.

AnneK 2024-11-14 04:18

The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

There is a very detailed article with lots of figures on the subject of motorways on swissinfo. Among other things, it lists various reasons why traffic growth in Switzerland over the last 30 years has been so much higher than population growth. In addition to growing leisure mobility, these include in particular the dependence of commuters on cars: Switzerland's motorway network is one of the densest in Europe, and for years Switzerland has invested more in its motorways than all other OECD countries for which figures are available. In addition, the "car myth" still exerts a strong control over thinking: people believe in the possibility of congestion-free motorway traffic, do not realise that it is the most expensive means of transport overall, both for users and for the general public, and generally fail to take a thorough look at the facts and figures.
The supposed benefits of the motorway expansion are questioned by experts. Within a few years, the new lanes will also be saturated, as they will generate additional traffic (longer distances are accepted if they can be expected to be travelled quickly). One thing is certain: the expansion will harm the climate.

Es gibt einen sehr detaillierten Artikel mit vielen Zahlen zum Thema Autobahnen auf swissinfo. Er listet u.a. diverse Gründe auf, warum das Verkehrswachstum der letzten 30 Jahren in der Schweiz so viel stärker war als das Bevölkerungswachstum. Dazu zählt neben der wachsenden Freizeitmobilität insbesondere auch die Abhängigkeit der Arbeitspendler vom Auto: das Autobahnnetz der Schweiz ist eines der dichtesten in Europa, und seit Jahren investiert die Schweiz mehr in ihre Autobahnen als alle anderen OECD-Länder, für die es dazu Zahlen gibt. Zudem übt der "Mythos Auto" noch eine starke Kontrolle über das Denken aus: man glaubt an die Möglichkeit des staufreien Autoverkehrs, nimmt nicht wahr, dass es sich insgesamt um das teuerste Verkehrsmittel sowohl für die Nutzer als auch für die Allgemeinheit handelt, und versäumt es insgesamt, sich mit Zahlen und Fakten gründlich auseinanderzusetzen.
Der vermeintliche Nutzen des Autobahn-Ausbaus wird von Fachleuten in Frage gestellt. Innert weniger Jahre werden die neuen Spuren ebenfalls saturiert sein, da sie zusätzlichen Verkehr entstehen lassen (grössere Strecken werden in Kauf genommen, wenn man erwarten kann, sie schnell zu bewältigen). Was sicher ist: dem Klima schadet der Ausbau.

Marianne Waeber 2024-11-14 01:35

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Extending motorways solves none of the problems they are supposed to solve:

- the additional lanes will inevitably lead to a greater flow of vehicles, so nothing will be solved

- farmland and villages hitherto spared from motorway-related traffic will inevitably be affected by more traffic

- pollution will undoubtedly increase, especially as no effort is being made at the same time to reduce the very high cost of public transport in Switzerland.

L'extension des autoroutes ne résout aucun des problèmes qu'elle est sensée résoudre :

- les voies supplémentaires provoqueront inévitablement un flux de véhicules plus important, donc rien ne sera résolu

- du terrain agricole, des villages jusqu'ici épargnés par le trafic lié à l'autoroute seront inévitablement touchés par une circulation plus importante

- la pollution augmentera sans aucun doute, surtout qu'aucun effort n'est entrepris en même temps pour baisser le prix très élevé des transports publics en Suisse.

CF7 2024-11-12 18:14

I've heard or read before that Switzerland tries to discourage people from driving by trying to make it inconvenient to do so. So I'm not sure if that is actually true, but the reality is that not everyone can take a train or bus easily. Taking those often requires a lot of walking, which unfortunately, not everyone is able to easily do (I often see elderly people in my neighborhood struggling to walk). Also, it can be very difficult to take public transportation when you have a baby in a stroller, as many trains and buses and trams only have stairs. I know that Switzerland is infamous for being very slow to make changes, but I think the government here really needs to accept the fact that society is changing and population is increasing and adapt and evolve accordingly. And as it is now, climate change is going to continue to make crowded trains with no air conditioning more and more unbearable. Imagine riding a a very crowded train with no air circulation and no air conditioning on a 40-degree C day. No thanks. I think it's time Switzerland gets it's head out of the dark ages.

iolyx 2024-11-18 09:13

@CF7

I think you haven’t ridden a Swiss train in a while lol, most of them are fully accessible and air conditioned

Eddi 2025-04-14 12:10

@iolyx

Over Easter period they are crowded, occupancy on SBB web site indicate 3 red people for not only 2nd class, but also 1st class too

asa 2024-11-12 11:01

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Soft mobility, travelling on foot and by train: it's the future, relatively comfortable and fairly reliable. However, if you find yourself late at night in one of our stations in French-speaking Switzerland, the desire to take the train can quickly disappear. The motorway, traffic jams and even the search for my car in the Plainpalais car park suddenly become more attractive than the risk of being harassed at the station!
While we wait for initiatives to transform our stations into welcoming and safe spaces, let's improve the motorways!

La mobilité douce, les déplacements à pied et en train : c’est l’avenir, relativement confortable et assez fiable. Cependant, si vous vous retrouvez tard le soir dans l’une de nos gares en Suisse romande, l’envie de prendre le train peut vite disparaître. L’autoroute, les embouteillages, et même la recherche de mon véhicule dans le parking de Plainpalais deviennent soudain plus attrayants que risquer de me faire harceler à la gare !
En attendant des initiatives pour transformer nos gares en espaces accueillants et sécurisants, améliorons les autoroutes !

AnneK 2024-11-14 03:59

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

@asa

There is no point in spending billions on widening motorways. More than 350 experts from universities and planning offices are calling for a NO vote because the projects are not compatible with a shift towards soft mobility. The induced traffic would mean that the roads would be saturated again 2-5 years after the work was completed anyway. Money should not be wasted, even if it comes from mineral taxes.

Mettre des milliards dans l’élargissement des autoroutes ne sert à rien. Plus de 350 experts issus des universités et des bureaux de planification appellent à voter NON car les projets ne sont pas compatibles avec la réorientation vers la mobilité douce. Le trafic induit ferait que les routes seraient de nouveau saturées 2-5 ans après la fin des travaux, de toute façon. Il ne faut pas gaspiller l’argent même s’il provient des taxes minérales.

Anonymous 2024-11-11 17:03

Building more roads is a lazy way to solve a complex problem.
Regulating traffic (per hour) or regulating sales of vehicles have a more direct impact on amount of traffic in any given time of a day.
Congestion charges (like in Singapore or London) may help out the city-centers. Higher tax for unnecessary luxury cars could slow down the number of cars. Vehicle tax breaks for big families or people with disabilities could modulate the ownership of cars. Commercial vehicles traffic also need to be reviewed and new regulations to reduce congestion or travel through residential villages to reduce air and noise pollution.
So many things to do.
Building more roads is just a visible but lazy way to spend money, pretending to solve the complex problem. It is basically the politicians' win-win solution for themselves.

Eddi 2025-04-14 12:18

@Anonymous

not really lazy - population growth is part of the problem. In Switzerland alone the population has increased from 6 million to 9 million in the last 40 years. Over the same period (+50%)

Germany from 62 million to 83 million (+34%)
Holland (and their bloody caravans) 14 million to 18 million (+29%)
France 56 million 68 million (+21%)

There are more people on the move then ever before - so building more roads is not idle. The infrastructure hasn't kept up for these blitz's. But even back in 1991 I recall jams of over 20 km in front of the Gotthard tunnel

kkckkc 2024-11-07 12:16

The last mile of P+R does not work and the cost of parking and trains is too high.
Until then, we need to expand roads. It's as simple as that. People would take P+R if it was time and cost effective, but it simply isn't!

iolyx 2024-11-18 09:15

@kkckkc

I see your reasoning, but how will we be able to reduce costs of transit and p+r if all the money is spent on expanding roads? Let’s start today and use that money differently

Thirotlv@gmail.com 2024-11-05 14:19

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Increase the frequency of train services, and provide services to smaller communities. And ask border countries to build P+Rs.

Augmenter les cadences de train, desservir aussi les petites communes. Et demander aux pays frontaliers de construire des P+R.

jepyerly@websud.ch 2024-11-01 19:41

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Trains are expensive, but interesting for city-to-city journeys, with bus services from home to the station. But difficult for remote areas. The latter have to use their cars to get to stations, and parking soon becomes more expensive than taking the train. Motorways are necessary, but the problem of motorway exits paralyses regional traffic. Given that most people in the tertiary sector are working less and less, they travel much more by car. So many unnecessary kilometres and so much pollution. It's not great for biodiversity or the planet. Now is the time for motorists to pay to cross our country on motorways and tunnels. Like in France and other countries.

Les trains, sont chers, ils sont intéressants pour les voyages de ville à ville , avec les lignes de bus depuis le domicile à la gare . Mais difficiles pour les régions retirées. Ces derniers, doivent se rendre dans les gares avec les voitures , et le Parking , coûte bientôt plus cher que le train. Les autoroutes sont nécessaires, mais le problème des sorties d'autoroutes, paralysent le trafic régional. Étant donné, que la plupart des personnes du secteur tertiaire, travaille toujours moins, ils se déplacent beaucoup plus en voiture. Que de KM et de pollution inutile. Ce n'est pas formidable pour la biodiversité et la planète. C'est le moment que les automobilistes promeneurs , passent à la caisse pour traverser notre Pays, par les autoroutes et les tunnels. Comme en France ou d'autres Pays.