A new strategic plan for Luxembourg City's mobility was presented in the Grand Theatre, resting on a series of calculations on how mobility is expected to develop in the coming years. The conclusion: more attention needs to be paid to soft and public modes of transport.

The plan also assumes that, by 2035, the number of jobs in the capital will increase by almost a third — whilst the population is expected to increase by almost 50 percent. Not only does this mean more traffic, but it will also become impossible for private transport to increase any further, fears Patrick Goldschmidt, head of mobility.

"We have analysed what and how much movement there is in the city today, concluding there to be 850,000 as of now but [an increase of] up to 1.2 million [to be expected]. We can no longer cover these figures with private transport, which is why we need transport alternatives."

Mobilitéitsplang Stad Lëtzebuerg - E Reportage vum Dany Rasqué

Goldschmidt adds that both buses and trams are already highly frequented in the city, with over 100,000 people using them each day of the working week.

For Mayor Lydie Polfer, it is clear that public transport needs to be expanded further:

"On the one hand, we have a city in which 135,000 people live and for whom we want to continue to offer the best possible quality of life. On the other hand, we are also an extremely attractive economic centre, with another 130,000 people arriving every day [from outside the city]. We also have to offer them mobility that allows them to come into the city."

The mobility plan doesn't pave the way for them to do this by car. Nevertheless, Patrick Goldschmidt assures us that cars will not disappear completely from the city.

"We don't have the capacity to increase private transport, but it's still important that there is also space for private transport. At the moment it works relatively well, with traffic jams usually not lasting longer than five minutes, but I admire those who come into the city from further away. People who spend an hour a day travelling, who are happy to reach the city limits in the first place."

Once reaching their destination, however, motorists still require parking spaces, which is why the mobility plan also emphasises the need for better car park management — alongside the expansion of a biking network and increased e-mobility.

Further reading: Luxembourg City presents new mobility plan