Zurich debates becoming car-free: What you need to know

Whether it's creating a one-way road system that ends up fining drivers millions, or installing noise cameras to catch the loudest joy riders, recent years have seen Zurich continue to grapple with traffic in the city. Now, a new proposal would see most of the Swiss metropolis made car-free. Here’s what you need to know.

What you need to know about car-free Zurich

Called the Transport Transition Initiative, the proposal seeks to severely restrict car traffic in and around Zurich. The Initiative Committee confirmed that they would begin collecting signatures in favour of the proposal from May 1, in a bid to make it a referendum.

Under the plan, the local council would be forced to “commit to using all available resources to make the city as car-free as possible.” Though it would be up to local authorities to decide where and how to ban cars from the city, they hope the proposal will lead to car-free zones on a “large scale” in a number of districts.

Public transport, the emergency services, postal service, tradespeople, and drivers with reduced mobility and those who work night shifts would be exempt from the car-free zones. "We don't want to prohibit anyone from driving," initiative committee member Sonja Roth assured, adding that car-free areas would be introduced gradually, rather than overnight.

Car-free Zurich would improve quality of life and safety

“Zurich suffers from a lack of space, noise, dangerous traffic, and heat,” the initiative committee noted, adding that cars increase the chance of road accidents and make living standards worse for those within the city. "In a city where many residents don't own a car, it makes sense to introduce car-free zones. Besides, in the city of Zurich, a car isn't a necessity," Roth argued.

Roth claimed that the proposal would lead to "More open space and quality of life for people, more climate protection through low-CO2 mobility, [and] less noise." The initiative pointed to a 2025 study from the Institute of Urban Affairs in Germany, which found that car-free streets lead to a higher quality of life for residents and cyclists, and that reducing the number of parking spaces on streets boosts sales for local businesses.

Opponents label the plan a "PR stunt"

While many within the city see the proposal as a step in the right direction, opponents question its impact and practicality. Zurich Trade Association president Nicole Barandun warned against restricting traffic, telling the Tages-Anzeiger that "there are service providers who no longer serve certain areas of the city of Zurich because the journeys take too long and there are no parking spaces available." 

While she appreciated the fact that the proposal would exempt tradespeople from the ban, she said the extreme nature of the idea made it nothing but a “PR gag”. She concluded that local authorities should proceed with proposals already approved by the public, such as expanding the cycle network at the expense of parking spaces, and imposing lower speed limits.