Open Data Insight of the Day

The Canton of Basel-Stadt diligently monitors motorized traffic, cycling, and pedestrian flows to gain insights into urban mobility patterns. This data is crucial for evidence-based transport planning, enhancing road safety, and evaluating the environmental impacts and effectiveness of mobility policies. In January 2026, Basel recorded a total of 9,222,818 motorized vehicles, 1,225,251 bicycles, and 1,769,628 pedestrians. The city utilized 48 counting stations for motorized traffic, 29 for bicycles, and 26 for pedestrians to gather this data.

Motorized traffic is categorized into various street types, with 48 stations dedicated to monitoring these flows. The station at A3-A35, Grenze CH-F, recorded the highest motorized monthly traffic, with 744,004 vehicles. Figure 1 illustrates the map of stations active in January 2026, while Figure 2 presents the average weekday traffic at the Heuwaage station, highlighting commuter patterns. Detailed results for all active motorized traffic counting stations in January 2026 are available in Table 1 and Table 2, which also compare the data with the average monthly values for the past 12 months and the same month of the previous year.

For pedestrian and bicycle traffic, Basel has 26 and 29 counting stations, respectively. The pedestrian station at Gerbergasse, a bustling shopping street, recorded significant differences in traffic between weekends and weekdays, with higher volumes from noon to 4 pm on weekends, as shown in Figure 3. Similarly, Figure 4 depicts bicycle traffic at Wettsteinbrücke, where the data clearly indicates the influence of weekday commuters.

Comparing January 2026 to the same month in the previous year, there was a notable decrease in traffic across all categories. Bicycle traffic decreased by 17.4%, motorized traffic by 25.69%, and pedestrian traffic by 14.73%. These comparisons are based on stations that were active in both years. There was no significant difference between January 2026 and the average of the last 12 months. It is expected that bicycle traffic is lower in winter months, with higher numbers anticipated in spring, summer, and fall.

For those interested in further exploring Basel's traffic data, the traffic counting dashboard provides an in-depth look at the city's mobility patterns.