Espoo residents walk and use public transport more than before
On Wednesday 27 March, HSL published the results of its survey on the mobility of Helsinki region residents. Based on the results, walking and public transport have become more popular in Espoo. The number of journeys made by car has decreased. The City of Espoo has made major investments in public transport, and the extension of the metro line towards the west already shows in the survey results.
In 2018, Espoo residents made 54 per cent of their journeys by public transport, on foot or by bicycle. In last year’s survey, the figure was 60 per cent. The share of walking increased from 26 to 30 per cent. The results were obtained through the Travel Survey 2023(external link, opens in a new window) conducted by Helsinki region municipalities and Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) to study Helsinki region residents’ travel habits.
“Espoo wants to invest in sustainable transport. Thanks to the metro line extension and the new light rail line, public transport services have improved significantly in Espoo. The investments in rail transport have enabled better services and boosted Espoo’s vitality. The increased popularity of sustainable mobility is an important part of Espoo’s goal of being carbon-neutral by 2030. In addition to benefiting our residents, rail transport has improved transport connections and brought new housing, services, jobs and innovation hubs to areas along the tracks,” says Espoo’s Mayor Jukka Mäkelä.
Remote work has reduced overall mobility in the region. The survey was conducted in 2023, so the impact of the new light rail line 15, also known as Jokeri Light Rail, is not yet reflected in the results. HSL will continue to analyse the results and report more on them later in the spring. The results will be used in the development of the city. Sustainable modes of transport play a key role in reducing the climate impacts of transport and in the Carbon-neutral Espoo 2030 roadmap that is currently being prepared.
Further information
Public transport use increased in Espoo and Kirkkonummi(external link, opens in a new window), HSL press release, 27 March 2024
Pauliina Kuronen, City Transport Manager, City of Espoo, pauliina.kuronen@espoo.fi, tel. +358 40 6343548
Mari Päätalo, Development Manager, City of Espoo, mari.paatalo@espoo.fi tel. +358 40 6394550