Government Council slows down Tempo-30 projects in the city of Zurich Now there is criticism

The Zurich city council has criticized the cantonal government for delaying Tempo-30 projects within the city. According to new regulations, the canton requires Zurich to resubmit ongoing Tempo-30 applications under updated laws. The city council describes this requirement as an unacceptable "negative retroactive effect." The delays stem from a new road law that came into force after the approval of the "Mobility Initiative" on June 1, 2026. This law reduced the authority of cities like Zurich and Winterthurn to set speed limits of 30 km/h on intercommunal roads. Since late 2024, the cantonal executive has delayed approvals for numerous road construction and noise reduction projects, particularly those involving Tempo-30 zones. In response to a written inquiry from the SP, Greens, GLP, and AL factions, the city's administration did not hold back its criticism of the cantonal government. The delay in processing applications, which used to take eight weeks according to the road law until the end of 2024, has left many dossiers unresolved. Projects such as those at the Sihlquai, Birchstrasse, and Vorderberg, along with approximately twenty noise reduction measures without construction work, are currently stalled. With the exception of six projects still subject to legal appeals, all applications have become legally binding and require only the green light from the cantonal government. Applications need to be resubmitted due to the new regulation. The city council argues that the cantonal government has applied an unlawful "negative retroactive effect." Most applications were submitted before the vote and definitely before the new provisions took effect. The city council claims the cantonal government should have processed them under the previous law, stating that suspending current legislation contradicts constitutional principles. Formal warnings or legal complaints have been deemed ineffective so far. To break the deadlock, the city plans to submit selected projects for review by the cantonal police. If these decisions are negative, the city reserves the right to pursue legal action. Additionally, the city’s head of infrastructure, Simone Brander (SP), informed the cantonal department of economic affairs in writing that the canton would bear part of the additional costs incurred. Meanwhile, the city of Zurich is pursuing a complaint against the cantonal decision regarding the new legal basis at the Federal Court.