MONET 2030: Congestion on Swiss motorway network

SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Goal description

« Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. […]»

Swiss target 9.1: Switzerland has an adequate, resilient and solidly-financed transport and communication infrastructure.

Significance of the indicator
The indicator denotes the number of hours of congestion due to excess traffic on Swiss motorways. The proper functioning and safety of transport infrastructures, which include Swiss motorways, are of economic importance for Switzerland. Congestion results in lost time, which has an economic cost. Reducing congestion on the Swiss motorway network is therefore a step towards sustainable development.

Help for interpretation
The hours of congestion due to accidents, roadworks and other causes are relatively constant and for this reason are not taken into account. The improved technical equipment for recording congestion on Swiss motorways partly explains the increase in hours of congestion observed since 2008. The decrease in 2020 is explained in particular by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International comparability
This indicator cannot be compared at international level.

Synthesis

A traffic jam is defined as follows :

when the speed of vehicles on high-speed roads or motorways outside of built-up areas is less than 10 km/h for at least one minute and the traffic is often at a standstill;
when the time wasted at intersections and bottlenecks on motorways in built-up areas exceeds five minutes in total.

Congestion is defined as follows:

when the speed of vehicles outside of built-up areas is less than 30 km/h for at least one minute or the traffic is at times temporarily immobilised.

In the report of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), the term ‘congestion’ is used to describe these two phenomena (traffic jams and congestion) due to a lack of sufficient data on traffic and vehicle speed that would allow a distinction to be drawn. All the traffic congestion data are based on traffic information from Viasuisse. The quality of the data therefore depends on the exhaustiveness and accuracy of this information. There is no guarantee that all congestion is recorded.

The data relating to traffic congestion are published every year by the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) in its report ‘Traffic and availability of motorways’.

Swiss target 9.1: Switzerland has an adequate, resilient and solidly-financed transport and communication infrastructure.

International target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.