At the beginning of the year, the Federal Council proposed supporting 32 agglomeration programmes with 1.12 billion Swiss francs. Based on feedback from the consultation process, it has now decided to support additional projects and is therefore increasing the sum to 1.34 billion francs.
The additional projects include electrification of the 69 and 80 bus lines in Zurich as well as transport measures in connection with the project Future Railway Station Bern (Zukunft Bahnhof Bern). The Federal Council made its decisions on the basis of “clear criteria and set priorities”, which are intended to ensure an efficient use of limited resources, according to a press release.
The main criteria for selecting the projects were “how the urban areas intend to improve the overall transport system and at the same time develop urban areas inwards”. For the first time, the decision was also based on “the extent to which measures of earlier generations have been implemented”.
It is also important that the projects be implemented in a timely manner. If construction does not commence within six years, then the “funds allocated will be returned to the Swiss government”.
