More and more Offenbach residents are traveling in a climate-friendly way

The latest results of the "Mobility in Germany 2023" (MiD 2023) study show a positive development for Offenbach: more and more people are walking, cycling or using public transport in the city. An impressive 33 percent of people currently walk. In the 2017 survey, 26% of people were pedestrians. Compared to 2017, the share of cycling in total trips (modal split) has increased significantly from 11% to 15%. Local public transport also increased significantly and is now used for 20% of journeys made. In 2017, the figure was still 16%. At the same time, the proportion of journeys made by car fell to 32% (previously 46%), although the number of new car registrations continues to rise at the same time.

"More and more Offenbach residents are opting for environmentally friendly means of transport to cover their daily journeys. In total, 68 percent of journeys are made without a car. This positive development shows the effectiveness of our efforts to actively shape the mobility transition. The switch to environmentally friendly mobility benefits not only the users themselves, because they live healthier lives through more exercise, but also all Offenbach residents through less noise and better air quality. This increases the quality of life in our city and that is one of my goals when it comes to mobility," comments Mayor and Head of Mobility Sabine Groß on the results of the study.

In real terms, this also has a positive effect on the CO2 footprint of the journeys made. While the national average is 5.1 kilograms per person per day, Offenbach has an impressive 3.5 kilograms.

As in other municipalities, the share of cycling in Offenbach is growing with improvements to the infrastructure for cyclists.

Even though the modal split is considered by experts to be the key indicator par excellence, the MiD 2023 also revealed other interesting findings. One of these is the popularity of the Deutschlandticket. When traveling by bus or train, 24 percent had a Deutschlandticket in their pocket, a further 17 percent used a job or semester ticket and nine percent used another season ticket. "The cheap tickets are certainly one reason for the increased switch to public transport," says Groß.

Whichever mode of transportation is considered, however, the figures show a clear direction: more and more Offenbach residents are opting for environmentally friendly means of transport.

MiD 2023 was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. From April 2023 to July 2024, households across Germany were surveyed on their everyday transport behavior. The entire study with its additional regional reports should be available in the publications on the project website in mid-2025.