Zurich model


The Zurich model is the approach by the city of Zurich, Switzerland, which permits its public transportation system to achieve and maintain a high market share. Many other cities have emulated elements of it, especially when new tram or light rail systems were introduced.

History

In the 1970s, Zurich was planning to move many of the tram lines in its central area into tunnels. This project was rejected in a referendum. In the 1970s, a project to create an underground railway was similarly rejected.
Despite the failures of these attempts to provide Zurich with a different kind of transportation system, public transportation in Zurich has maintained a high modal split, with 65% of people commuting within the city doing so by public transport and only 17% using cars. In his book Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton has suggested why the model is so effective:

Elements of the model

The model has the following characteristics:
  • A dense network providing many direct connections and short headways at stations/stops.
  • Higher priority for public transportation at road intersections.
  • Low impact of road congestion on operations.
  • Parking maximums, followed by parking limits in the downtown area.

    Public transport entities

The public transportation system in the city of Zurich consists of the following elements, which are part of the Zurich transportation network :