Transport policy
“The car as a sacred cow: How we need to rethink mobility”
15.10.2024
There are almost five million cars in Switzerland, which means that the entire population has space in the front seats. Read the guest article by sociologist and transportation researcher Timo Ohnmacht to find out what this says about us and how we can change it.
“At the end of June 2024, Switzerland’s population reached nine million. And you know what? They would all fit in the front seats of our cars. No kidding: There are more than 4.7 million cars on the road in our country. Just three percent of these are electric – but that’s not the point here.
Cars are more than just a means of transportation – they’re deeply engrained in our lives and our environment has been built to accommodate them. Some colleagues even call it 'Virus' which, despite the damage caused, remains highly accepted by society. And as things currently stand, this isn’t going to change any time soon. The Persistence of the system Auto is contrasted with the urgency of change – to slow down climate change and to safeguard our quality of life.
More infrastructure = longer distances in the same travel time
The motorisation rate – i.e. the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants of a place – has remained at a high level for decades – and so has our usage of cars to get around. As in 1970, around half of all commutes are still made by car. What has changed, however, are the speeds: Over the years, the continuous expansion of the roads has created a kind of “Travel time optimisation machine”: More infrastructure improves accessibility, which in turn enables longer journeys with the same journey duration – a Vicious circlewhich leads to more and more traffic.
A look across the Atlantic shows what this means in extreme cases: Los Angeles has been expanding its road capacity for 60 years, but the traffic jams simply don’t get any smaller – on the contrary. The constant expansion of infrastructure in response to increased traffic pressure may create short-term relief, but in the long term, people respond by ‘reinvesting’ the saved travel time.
«Yes, we need more modern technologies, but what we need most of all is a social change.»
It is also evident that we Swiss cities for years no traffic growth see more. They’re simply full – there’s no room for any more cars. This is particularly evident during the peak hours, which now stretch over several hours. Fortunately, the majority of politicians and decision-makers in urban centres have recognised this: For some time now, they have been responding with measures such as Reduction of parking spaces or the conversion of traffic areas into green zones.
But that alone isn’t enough. What is needed is strict regulations. Past experience has shown us that relying on people to forgo using their cars in favour of greener transport and providing new mobility options aren’t sufficient to reduce car traffic. However, the car remains a ‘sacred cow’ that is difficult to change or address. There’s enormous potential here, especially in urban areas.
'15-Minuten-City’ or 'E-Bike-City’
For example, I think of approaches such as the '15-minute city' as promising: All important facilities of daily life should be can be reached on foot or by bike in 15 minutes in the first place. a concept that promotes quality of life, reduces car traffic and protects the environment. Another exciting model is the so-called 'E-bike city. a planning vision of ETH Zurich in which up to half of the urban motorways are to be converted into green spaces and bicycle expressways. Ideas like these show that there are alternatives that conserve space and safeguard the environment.
In addition to being a transport researcher, I’m also a sociologist. And in this role, I’ve noticed that the discussions today are too heavily dominated by technology. Yes, we need more modern technologies, but what we need most of all is a social change. We have to be prepared to discuss the most fundamental aspects of how we use mobility.
«For example, electric cars are also a small part of the transport revolution.»
Concepts such as Superblocks, where only one road remains open to cars in neighbourhoods, or the '15-minute city' indicate how change could succeed. Transport service providers such as Mobility also show that there are alternatives that are not only technically innovative but also socially relevant. Right now, car sharing and similar concepts may still only account for a small proportion of our overall travel, but they create awareness and offer viable alternatives to private cars.
These alternatives have the potential to change mobility behaviour in the long term, especially if they’re developed further and made available more widely. Ultimately, it’s the Total of different Innovations, which is needed to achieve a change in the mass. For example, electric cars are also a small part of the transport revolution, but their use in cities is ultimately just as questionable as that of cars with combustion engines.
I am convinced that in the end, only the combination of technological progress and societal change will become a long-term Transitional traffic management. It takes courage and stamina to consistently implement sustainable visions. With companies like Mobility, which promote new forms of transport, we already have important building blocks for making the mobility of the future more sustainable and more liveable. Let’s embark on this journey together – in research, in practice with the federal government, cantons and municipalities, and in dialogue with the public.”
(Picture of side head: André Herger)
Profile
PhD Timo Ohnmacht (45) studied transport and sociology at the Technical University of Berlin, Lancaster University (UK) and at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Since 2011, he has been conducting research and lecturing at the Mobility Competence Centre at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, working at the interface between energy, space, transport and society. Ohnmacht lives with his family in Lucerne and Melchsee-Frutt.