Glatttalbahn is being expanded: National Council approves money for transport construction in agglomerations

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The federal government must continue to support the construction of transport projects in urban areas. The National Council has approved contributions of more than CHF 1.6 billion for the new agglomeration transport programs. In front of a traffic tunnel in Ticino, he raised it slightly.

With 196 votes to 0 and no abstentions, the National Council approved the bill on Tuesday. For example, the federal government should support the expansion of the Glatttalbahn in the canton of Zurich and the eastern ring road of Suhr AG. About 1,200 measures in 32 agglomeration programs in all parts of the country are to be implemented.

Almost a third of the funds are earmarked for public transport, car traffic and projects for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Transfer nodes are also taken into account.

Road tunnel Moscia-Acapulco new in the program

At the request of the majority of its transport committee, the National Council included the Moscia-Acapulco road tunnel in Locarnese in the program and increased the loan amount by CHF 38 million, against the wishes of the Federal Council. Now it is the turn of the Council of States.

The federal government contributes between 30 and 45 percent, depending on the impact of the particular program. Since 2008, the federal government contributes to the transport infrastructure of the agglomerations.

A red-green minority motion to waive the five percent withholding from the federal contribution in cases where measures from previous programs were not satisfactorily implemented failed to find a majority. This waiver would have increased the loan by CHF 35 million.

Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger (Greens/GE) said that this sanction weakens the latest generation programs. Projects in six regions are affected. According to Pasquier-Eichenberger, the federal government can legally cover up to half of the costs and has room for improvement here.

The majority took a different view: Barbara Schaffner (GLP/ZH) called the mechanism “useful to generate a certain pressure for the realization of the projects”. Commission spokesman Kurt Fluri (FDP/SO) said the cuts would affect project delays caused by the regions themselves.

The council also wanted nothing to do with the citizen’s proposal to have the bill come into effect together with the 2023 expansion step for the National Highways and to link it in practice. A minority around Christian Wasserfallen (FDP/BE) wanted to prevent projects and modes of transport from being played off against each other.

Two templates as a complete system

With the two templates you have a total system for you, Wasserfallen justified the application. There should be no cherry picking. Rail and road complement each other, said Marco Romano (center/TI). “You can’t fight all national roads for ideological reasons and only want the best of the conurbations.”

Schaffner called the request an attempt to hold the metropolitan area’s transportation program hostage. Marionna Schlatter (Greens/ZH) added that municipalities and cantons are the driving forces behind these programs and therefore they are not eligible for a referendum. “You can’t buy highways for bike paths from the people.”

There is a referendum against the expansion of the national highway in the hall. When the Federal Council proposed the projects in February, several associations threatened to hold a referendum against the federal decision on the 2023 highway expansion step. An optional referendum is only possible against this one decision.

A spokeswoman for the Greens said during the consultations in the National Council that her party would support any referendum.

The majority of the Committee on Transport and Telecommunications objected that the transport programs of the agglomerations could be seriously delayed if a referendum were held against the expansion of national roads. (SDA)

Source:Blick