Answers from Mr Christian Huber from the Department of the Environment Zurich. He answered my questions as follows.
What does the city of Zurich plan to do to reduce CO2 emissions from transport?
The programme "Stadtverkehr 2025" shows the different activities of the city of Zurich to reduce the share of motorised road traffic.
The current status of the activities is summarised in the 2019 report: City Traffic 2025 - Report 2019
The City Council stands behind the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement. In order to achieve the ambitious climate protection goals of Paris, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced much faster. At the moment, the city council is looking at how it can achieve the climate protection target. More information on climate protection: www.stadt-zuerich.ch/klima.
Of the following suggestions, what is the best possible idea to reduce CO2 emissions?
Basically: in the transport sector, a bundle of several measures is always needed. The negative effects of transport cannot be solved with a single measure.
The proposals all have advantages and disadvantages.
Making part of the city car-free or banning certain vehicles, as other cities are already doing ?
A driving ban or for a low emission zone would certainly bring a lot.
At the moment, however, there is no legal basis for a driving ban or for a low emission zone. The city cannot decide on its own. The competence lies with the federal government and the canton.
Minimise parking so that people use public transport more ?
This has already been done for a long time. Restricting the parking supply and management (parking fees) are effective measures that have proven their worth.
Is lowering the speed limit a good alternative solution?
The greatest benefits of speed reduction are in terms of noise and safety. In the area of CO2, a speed reduction is effective if the driving style is more consistent than before.
In your opinion, are there any other possibilities that would be a good solution?
The promotion of public transport, cycling and pedestrian traffic is the top priority. Traffic in the city of Zurich should be handled as far as possible by these environmentally friendly, efficient and space-saving means of transport. To this end, the infrastructure must be continuously expanded.
Mobility consultations for companies and residents.
Promote electric mobility, especially for public transport buses, freight transport and the vehicle fleet of the city administration.
Offer a multimodal mobility platform. Example: The ZüriMobil app networks public transport, car sharing, bike sharing, e-scooters.
In progress