30 km/h speed limit introduced around Zurich HB

The Zurich city council has announced plans to introduce a 30 kilometre per hour speed limit on a number of streets surrounding Zurich Hauptbahnhof, with the aim of improving safety in the area.

Speed limit reduced on 24 streets in Zurich

The speed limit is set to be reduced on several roads surrounding the train station in Zurich. The Zurich city council shared in a press release that 24 streets will have their speed limits reduced to 30 km/h. Some roads will see the speed limit reduced from 50 km/h. 

The roads affected border streets that already have a similar speed limit in place, such as Löwenstrasse, Waisenhausstrasse, and Limmatquai. The planned extension to these 30 km/h zones will include streets that are directly outside the station, such as Bahnhofbrücke, Bahnhofplatz, Bahnhofquai and Museumstrasse. 

It's unclear from the council’s statement when the speed limits will change, so drivers should pay attention to road signs and markings. A full list of the affected streets can be found here.

City council wants to make Zurich streets safer

The planned 30 km/h speed limit is to make the streets surrounding the station “clearer and safer”, according to the city council’s press release. Over 700 road accidents have taken place in the area in the past five years. 

Pedestrians, bikes, cars, buses and trams all operate around Zurich HB, creating a “very complex” traffic situation. As a result, there are 14 accident hotspots where incidents are more likely to occur. 

The Automobile Club of Switzerland (ACS) has filed an objection to the plan because some of the roads are “important main thoroughfares intended for through traffic”, reports SRF.

Political parties, including the SVP, FDP and the Centre, have commented on how the council’s announcement coincides with an upcoming vote. Zurich voters will decide in the referendum on November 30 whether the Zurich canton or the city council will set speed limits on roads in the future. The council, however, rejected the suggestion that the two are connected.

Improvements to the area surrounding one of Switzerland’s busiest train stations have been in the works for a while. In 2024, the local council announced plans to create a car-free park outside the station and to pedestrianise some roads in Zurich.