Mobility Barometer: Poor Connection to Public Transport and Safe Bicycle Paths

According to a study, one in three citizens in Germany is dissatisfied with the public transport (ÖPNV) offerings in their own locality. 33 percent of respondents answered "no" to the question of whether they feel well-connected with buses and trains at their place of residence, as revealed by the Mobility Barometer from the opinion research institute Kantar. In the representative survey commissioned by the interest groups Allianz pro Schiene, BUND, and German Road Safety Council, more than 2,000 people aged 14 and over were interviewed by phone and online in September and October 2024. 

A majority also stated that their public transport connections had not improved in recent years. When asked whether the frequency of departures at the nearest stop had improved or worsened over the past five years, 15 percent said it had worsened. 68 percent saw no change. 17 percent reported an improvement. The distance to the nearest stop is not a problem for most people. Almost nine out of ten people (89 percent) are satisfied with it.

"More than 80 percent of people lament either stagnation or even a deterioration of the public transport offerings in their own locality. The answer cannot possibly be to constantly question the Deutschlandticket. Politics must secure the ticket for the future and at the same time significantly improve the offerings. People expect to be able to use their ticket throughout the country. And there is a wide gap between claim and reality, especially in rural areas. The survey reveals a mandate to politics to keep pace with people's expectations and provide a better offering," explained Dirk Flege, Managing Director of Allianz pro Schiene.

From the perspective of many cyclists, safe cycling paths are a rarity

Participants were also asked whether they feel safe in cycling and pedestrian traffic. Less than half (44 percent) stated that they have access to sufficiently safe cycling paths. More than one in four cyclists (27 percent) sees setbacks in this area and feels less safe than five years ago. Almost half (48 percent) see no change, whereas one in four feels safer (25 percent). Almost one in four (23 percent) feels less safe when walking, 62 percent see no change, and 15 percent feel safer than five years ago. A particularly high number of cyclists are dissatisfied with the infrastructure in Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saarland.

"For traffic safety, buses and trains are the means of transport of choice - in public transport, we are already very close to Vision Zero. However, people must first reach the departure point. If less than half - only 44 percent of respondents - state that they have sufficiently safe cycling paths available, there is an urgent need for improvement," explains Manfred Wirsch, President of the German Road Safety Council.

There is also a nationwide great need for improvement in pedestrian traffic. Wirsch: "85 percent of people feel that their safety as pedestrians has not improved in the past five years. Vision Zero means providing safe traffic routes for all types of traffic participation. If this does not succeed in the eyes of the public, it is an alarm signal."