There are numerous traffic counters in Basel-Stadt that record how many cars, cyclists, and pedestrians are on the move. The transport companies also record the number of passengers that ride the buses, trams, and regional trains. The statistics for 2022 have been released, and they show that bicycle traffic on the streets of Basel is up, while fewer passengers are using the buses, trams, and S-Bahn than before the pandemic. In addition, while car traffic on the motorways is almost at the same level as it was in 2019, car traffic on the streets of Basel in 2022 was 8% below pre-corona levels.

In 2022, the traces of the pandemic became significantly smaller—the population was increasingly on the move again, despite the persistent trend towards working from home. The public transport sector recorded a strong increase in passengers as compared to the pandemic year of 2021; however, it was still 19 percentage points lower than before the pandemic in 2019. It seems that many public transport passengers who switched to cycling during the pandemic continue to use the bicycle as a means of transportation post-corona. In 2022, around 10% more people were cycling in Basel, both compared to the previous year and compared to the situation in 2019, before the pandemic. E-bikes are also becoming increasingly popular—almost every second bike sold is now an e-bike.

There is also a small increase in the proportion of low-emission, climate-friendly, and resource-friendly vehicles. Taken together, these statistics show that the interim target of 20% climate-friendly vehicles by 2030 should be achievable and will put us well on the way to reaching the goal of the Environmental Protection Act, which states that all transport must be low-emission, climate-friendly, and resource-friendly by 2050.

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