Opponents fear increase in environmental damage from highway expansion
Published: Wednesday, Oct 2nd 2024, 12:20
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"Oversized, overpriced, harmful to the climate": The "No to excessive freeway expansion" alliance launched a referendum campaign on Wednesday against the freeway expansion planned by the Federal Council and parliament. The planned expansion is based on an outdated transport policy, according to the tenor of the media conference in Bern.
After half a century of unsuccessful attempts to combat traffic congestion with road expansions, a rethink is now needed. "Automated driving, mobility hubs and the networking of different modes of transport pose new challenges for infrastructure. By expanding the freeways, we are investing in the wrong place," said National Councillor Barbara Schaffner (GLP/ZH).
The referendum against the federal government's plan was submitted by the Swiss Transport Club (VCS) and the transport policy climate protection organization Umverkehr. It is supported by the GLP, the Greens and the SP, among others, as well as other associations that have joined forces to form the alliance.
Target missed with lane expansion
The Federal Council and parliament are bypassing the regions affected. "Meanwhile, the cities and agglomerations have realized that car traffic is polluting the population with noise and exhaust fumes. They are expanding public transport and cycling infrastructure and creating traffic-calmed districts," says National Councillor Franziska Ryser (Greens/SG).
The aim of the expansion is to reduce bottlenecks and traffic jams on Swiss motorways. However, this would not be achieved by widening the highway to six to eight lanes. The result would be more cars and more asphalt, the committee continued. Quality of life and nature would fall by the wayside.
"The additional traffic inevitably flows into the surrounding towns and villages, which has unacceptable consequences for the people living there: a significant increase in pollution and much more noise - even though almost a million people are already suffering from excessive noise levels today," said David Raedler, Co-President of the VCS.
"Climate crisis" is being exacerbated according to Allianz
According to the referendum committee, the highway projects will also result in the loss of large areas for nature and agriculture. Large parts of these areas are currently valuable crop rotation areas and forests, it added. During the respective construction phases, the loss of land would be even greater.
In addition, more highway capacity would promote further urban sprawl. New greenfield developments would also have to be developed. The expansion of the highway would also make more cantonal and municipal roads necessary. The "asphalting of Switzerland" is thus being driven forward.
The planned road expansion also undermines the goals of the Climate Protection Act and thus exacerbates the "climate crisis", the No Alliance continued. "The highway expansion will lead to more traffic, more noise and more CO2 emissions. This harms the climate," said Mattea Meyer, Co-President of the SP.
The proposal would have an impact for decades, said Lisa Mazzone, President of the Green Party. First, construction work would cause additional disruption to people's everyday lives, followed by the burden of even more cars, even more noise and even more exhaust fumes.
Decision on 4.9 billion francs
The Swiss parliament has approved six projects for the 2023 expansion phase. The A1 on Lake Geneva between Le Vengeron GE and Nyon VD is to be widened to six lanes, while extensions to the A1 between Bern-Wankdorf and Schönbühl BE and between Schönbühl and Kirchberg BE are also planned.
The package also includes a third tube of the Rosenberg Tunnel near St. Gallen, a second tube of the Fäsenstaub Tunnel near Schaffhausen and a Rhine Tunnel Birsfelden BL - Kleinhüningen BS.
According to the Federal Council's dispatch, voters will decide on project costs totaling CHF 4.9 billion. The vote will take place on November 24.
©Keystone/SDA
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