Should we raise the parking fees at ETH Zurich?
Should ETH increase its car park charges – or is this not an effective way of achieving greater sustainability? In the current issue of the staff magazine "life", Anthony Patt and Mirlinda Pireva discuss this question. The school management is not currently pursuing any plans to increase car parking charges. What is your opinion? Join in the discussion – by making an entry in the comments section.
For
Anthony Patt, Professor of Climate Policy
We should increase the parking fees at ETH Zurich, but we need to achieve the right social goal in the process. The city of Zurich aims to enhance quality of life by reducing motorised traffic in residential neighbourhoods while striving for carbon neutrality by 2040.
Increasing the parking fees would discourage some people from driving to the campus. However, this would not reduce traffic in residential areas, as most commuters live outside the city and use the main transport routes into the city. What’s more, high parking fees impact the quality of life of people with lower incomes. Increasing parking fees for the sole purpose of reducing the number of cars could have a negative impact on this sector of the population.
What about carbon neutrality ? To achieve this, all motorised vehicles would have to be fully electrified. That means that by 2040 at the latest, every single car parked at ETH Zurich would have to be an electric car. Studies have shown that people are happy to replace their petroldriven cars with electric cars if they can easily charge them every day. Ideally at home – but also at work. Studies have also shown that charging electric cars during the day rather than at night will become more important as the share of solar energy in the electricity system increases. Both findings suggest that every parking space at ETH Zurich should be equipped with a charging socket. The price of electricity at these sockets would have to be kept as low as possible to encourage people to charge during the day. ETH Zurich should not finance the installation of charging infrastructure by charging higher electricity prices at these charging stations.
“To achieve carbon neutrality, all motorised vehicles would have to be fully electrified.”Anthony Patt
In other words, everyone who parks at ETH Zurich (regardless of the car they drive) should finance the upgrading of parking spaces with charging infrastructure. The investment costs amount to approximately CHF 5,000 per parking space, which corresponds to CHF 1.25 per working day over 20 years. Accordingly, the daily parking fee would have to be increased from the current CHF 20 to CHF 21.25. This is not a large price increase. It will do little to restrict people’s use of cars and will not have a significant impact on their quality of life. However, by financing the necessary infrastructure, it will help the city of Zurich achieve its ambitious and important climate goal.
Against
Mirlinda Pireva, Employee at FIRST – Centerfor Micro- and Nanoscience
ETH Zurich has been committed to the goals of sustainable development for many years. One of its aims is to reduce emissions and conserve resources in the area of mobility – a concern that’s undoubtedly a top priority in times of climate change. ETH Zurich’s willingness to take responsibility in this area is commendable. However, when it comes to implementing ecological principles consistently, we also need to take different realities of life into account.
Many ETH members rely on individual transportation options due to limited public transport in rural areas, irregular work hours, or family commitments. In research and technical operations in particular, it is normal to have working hours outside the usual commuting window. Many students and employees need access to campus at all times for work purposes. They don’t use cars out of comfort, but out of functional necessity.
“In research and technical operations in particular, working hours outside the usual commuting window are normal.”Mirlinda Pireva
What’s more, public transport is already heavily used during peak hours. The idea that demand can simply be redirected is too simplistic. On the other hand, there are many empty parking spaces on campus during the day. I believe that a general increase in parking fees is both ineffective and socially inequitable. This approach impacts everyone, regardless of their available alternatives or financial capacity. As a result, it disproportionately affects those who already have limited flexibility.
We should focus on developing a more differentiated and sustainable mobility strategy. Rather than implementing blanket price increases, we should consider addressing specific needs more carefully. This could involve establishing transparent criteria for reduced fees or redesigning existing usage models to make them more flexible. We could also do more to promote options such as carpooling at an institutional level.
Sustainability extends beyond our carbon footprint; it also includes social aspects. Those committed to making a real change will consider both ecological and social dimensions. In doing so, we can develop viable solutions for a diverse university community. ETH Zurich has the scientific expertise and social responsibility to strike a balance between the two.
This article appeared in issue 3/2025 of the employee magazine "life".