Greenpeace Study Highlights Stagnation in Public Transit Expansion Across German Cities

Only Leipzig meets the required growth rate to achieve climate goals, while many cities face setbacks due to funding and staffing shortages.

A Greenpeace study reveals that the public transit offerings in most of Germany's 30 largest cities have seen little to no significant improvement from 2023 to 2025.
Leipzig leads with a 14.6% increase in transit services, the only city to exceed the 4.5% annual growth rate needed to meet climate objectives.
Berlin experienced the steepest decline, with a 7.1% reduction in transit services, followed by notable decreases in Kiel, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Karlsruhe.
The primary barriers to transit expansion include insufficient funding and a shortage of qualified personnel, such as bus drivers and maintenance staff.
Greenpeace calls for federal financial support and a structured plan to double public transit usage by 2030, emphasizing the need for sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions.