Cars Beat Transit for Access in Europe

A new arXiv study (Bruno Campenelli et al., via Giulio Mattioli) reports that even in many large European cities, most places offer easier access to jobs and opportunities by car than by public transport; notable exceptions are Paris, Zurich, and the innermost parts of Milan and Barcelona. The result is based on quantitative accessibility analysis and contradicts a common expectation that European urban density generally favors transit access. — If true, the finding forces rethinking of transport investments, curb-space policy, climate targets, and equity strategies across European cities — policymakers may be underinvesting in transit connectivity or overallocating space to cars.