Zurich offers second-best public transport in world

Zurich is ranked fifth in the latest Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2022, behind San Francisco, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Singapore. In the sub-index for the overall quality of public transit Zurich is placed second after Hong Kong, ahead of Stockholm, Singapore, Helsinki, and Oslo. This makes Zurich the leader in the quality of public transport in Europe due to its public transport system being efficient, affordable, and almost always within easy walking distance. Also in the sub-index of sustainability of public transport, Zurich is ranked among the top 10 cities worldwide.

These rankings have been compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum in New York and the University of California in Berkeley. The Index uses five basic dimensions to rank the 60 cities, namely infrastructure, social impact, market attractiveness, system efficiency, and innovation. 

Zurich’s roads are safe and high‑quality, which benefits pedestrians. Congestion is not a major issue and air quality is highly rated. Other positives are that Zurich is planning to release an advanced master plan in 2023 to integrate urban and social space with transport. This will also feature an urban climate vision and an agenda for implementation. One current initiative is the installation of 45 electric bus charging stations across the city.

A criticism in the report is that the city’s reliance on trams could cause it to fall behind metro‑based cities, because the automation of metros has progressed much faster. Nevertheless, the city convinces with its high and reliable connectivity and integration into Switzerland's world-class public transport system. mm