Transport researcher about local transport: “The bus has to come in such a way that you don’t have to wait long”

taz: Ms. Eisenmann, do you have to commute to work?

Christine Eisenmann: I have a short commute to work and I usually ride my bike.

has headed the infrastructure and mobility planning department at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus since 2023. Previously, she worked at the Institute for Transport Research at the German Aerospace Center, studied technical economics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and received her doctorate at the KIT Institute for Transport.

taz: What is local transport like in Germany, what are the connections like, for example for commuters?

Eisenmann: Relatively good. The Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR) examined how many people were able to walk to a bus or train stop with at least 28 departures per day in 2022. And the proportion of residents to whom this applies is 86 percent throughout Germany. I think that's pretty neat.

Eisenmann: In the city states of Berlin and Hamburg the connection is 99 percent.

Eisenmann: Rural federal states have a harder time than densely populated regions. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania performed worst with 66 percent. Brandenburg is also rural, but benefits from the lines that run to Berlin - 78 percent of them are well connected.

taz: Nevertheless, even in the surrounding areas of large cities, many people complain that the connection is not good enough.

Eisenmann: It's very exciting: In the Allianz pro Schiene's "Mobility Barometer 2022" people were asked whether they were satisfied with the number of departures at the nearest bus or train stop. And here we see a mismatch: In Saarland, for example, according to the BBSR study, objectively 94 percent of residents are well connected. Subjectively, only 61 percent are satisfied with the number of departures.

Eisenmann: It's not just the proximity to the stop that's crucial, but also: where do the lines go, what is the timing? In villages, the offer is often adapted to the needs of the students on the way to school, but not necessarily to leisure activities. In addition, if I travel by car frequently, I may not be as knowledgeable about what my public transport options would be like.

taz: So it's also a question of habit?

Eisenmann: Partly yes. But public transport also needs a certain level of demand in order to be economical. Ticket revenue only covers around a third of the costs, with the federal, state and local governments covering the rest.

taz: If there is not enough demand for a bus - what alternatives are there?

Eisenmann: Local public transport is part of the public service. That's why there should be buses in small villages, even if they run less frequently. Alternatives are citizen buses or on-demand transport. Particularly in rural areas, it is important to have options other than your own car so that everyone can take part in social life.

taz: What about the road, S-Bahn and subway networks?

Eisenmann: The networks in German cities have grown historically. In Munich several lines converge on a main route, Berlin has a radial network with lines that lead into the city and an additional S-Bahn ring. There is a grid network in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. This is suitable for polycentric structures that can be connected so well.

taz: What is the connection beyond the respective network?

Eisenmann: In Berlin-Brandenburg, for example, regional transport is well planned: a star-shaped network connects medium-sized cities such as Cottbus or Frankfurt (Oder). Connecting the villages requires feeder buses, park-and-ride, bicycle boxes and coordinated schedules: the bus must arrive in such a way that you don't have to wait too long at the train station.

taz: What about tram expansion, does it play a role?

Eisenmann: A good tram service is always attractive. There are tram-only services in 54 German cities, which is quite a lot. Especially in East Germany, they have also been preserved in smaller cities such as Görlitz, Plauen and Gera. In West German cities of the same size, they were often dismantled in the 1950s to 1970s, when car-friendly cities became a priority. Now, with every expansion, operators have to carefully consider whether there would be enough demand for a new railway.