Statement on the Bushof and Bahnhofplatz Muttenz Redevelopment Project 2025

Dear Sir or Madam,

Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz (WiFöM) is an initiative of the Municipality of Muttenz, established for and together with the local business community. Our mission is to represent the interests of around 1,000 companies and approximately 13,000 employees. We are committed to maintaining and creating attractive conditions for the business location, with excellent public transport connections being a key priority. Our Board of Directors and Advisory Board bring together representatives from local businesses, the education sector, politics, and Basel-Landschaft Business Promotion.

We would like to thank you for the progress made towards creating an attractive and improved railway and bus station precinct in Muttenz. We welcome the fact that a number of the Municipality’s requirements have been incorporated into the project.

The current plans, descriptions and design concepts are based on the planning status from 2016/2017 and the assumptions made at that time. However, since 2017, the station has changed and evolved significantly in terms of its layout, usage and passenger volumes.

Muttenz railway station plays a key role in the attractiveness of the business location and the development of the surrounding business districts. It also serves as an important transport hub for the Basel-Landschaft education cluster, providing convenient access to regional and long-distance rail services as well as fast connections to the city centre.

Having reviewed the public consultation documents (11 June 2025) for the proposed “Bushof and Bahnhofplatz Muttenz” redevelopment project, we would like to offer several comments from the perspective of Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz. As our offices are located at Muttenz railway station, we have first-hand insight into passenger flows and travel behaviour, which has informed our observations and recommendations.

Overall, we have concluded that the current plans have already been overtaken by evolving needs, while future developments are reflected only to a limited extent or, in some cases, not in the most suitable way. We also have the impression that greater emphasis has been placed on optimising bus operations than on passenger flows, other modes of transport, and convenient access to and from the station. In addition, we understand that the relevant stakeholder groups have only been involved to a limited extent, if at all, during the planning process in recent years.

In our view, current usage levels already exceed those anticipated in the plans, whether in terms of passenger numbers, the frequency of bus services, or the station’s integration into the everyday life of the municipality. Current and planned developments are expected to further increase passenger flows, intensify the use of the station, and lead to higher footfall, resulting in growing demand. Key developments since 2016/2017 include:

• current and Planned Development Projects in the Polyfeld District (Education Cluster and Businesses)
• growth of the FHNW (New Degree Programmes) and Spin-offs
• developments in the Bizenen Site and the Expansion of Major Business Locations
• new Residential and Commercial Space at Co-Next (109 Apartments, 1,500 m² of Commercial Space)
• new Business Investments in the Schweizerhalle Industrial Area (Corden Pharma: 400 Employees, High Occupancy at GETEC Park)
• increased SBB S-Bahn Service Frequency from the 2026 Timetable (Approx. 16 Services per Hour During Peak Times)
• new Bus Route (Route 46) and Increased Use of Articulated Buses During Peak Times
• existing Bicycle Parking Already Operating Beyond Capacity (Planning Assumption: 170 Spaces; Existing Capacity: 240 Spaces; Average Observed Occupancy: Approx. 300 Bicycles)
• expansion of Shared Mobility Services (pick-e-bike)
• significant Increase in the Number of E-Bikes at the Bicycle Parking Facilities
• completion of the Redevelopment of Platforms 1, 2/3 and 4, Including Access to the Platforms (Current Bottleneck)
• high Volume of Drop-off and Pick-up Traffic

Against this background, we would like to contribute the following assessment and additional observations from the perspective of Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz to support the further development of the project.

• Mobility and Parking (Insufficient Capacity and Poor Location)
• The existing bicycle parking facilities are chronically overcrowded, and the proposed 264 covered bicycle parking spaces will not be sufficient. (For comparison: Pratteln provides more than 600 covered bicycle parking spaces close to the platforms.)
• The proposed Kiss & Ride zone is not designed for through traffic. Its perpendicular parking layout requires drivers to park or turn around, which is likely to result in unofficial use of the bus bays for drop-off and pick-up
• The two planned EV charging points are clearly insufficient in view of the projected increase in electric vehicle ownership
• The proposed shared mobility area is significantly too small and poorly located. A location closer to the residential neighbourhoods and the town centre would be more appropriate
• The proposed motorcycle parking area is too small and poorly located. Current observations regularly show more than 20 motorcycles parked at this location

Passenger Flows and the Bus Station (Inefficient Passenger Flow and Limited Capacity for Future Expansion)

• Bus doors are not oriented towards Platform 1, forcing passenger flows to cross the bus traffic lanes and creating an unnecessary safety risk. The current layout provides a more direct and efficient connection to Platform 1
• Based on our observations, commuter flows between the railway station and the FHNW campus are likely to pass through the planned car park, rather than following a natural pedestrian route
• Bus Route 63 is no longer in service and has been replaced by Route 46, meaning the current plans are no longer up to date. During peak periods, up to four buses – including articulated buses – are in service at the same time
• The proposed layout provides too little flexibility for future expansion, such as additional bus platforms or longer buses (e.g. double-articulated buses used as tram replacement services)

Turning Circle and Traffic Flow

• The proposed turning circle occupies valuable space in a prime location for the future development of the railway station area.
• The existing traffic island at the junction of Neue Bahnhofstrasse, Grenzacherstrasse and Bahnhofstrasse serves as a traffic-calming measure. Its removal could have negative impacts on traffic safety and vehicle speeds.
• Increase vehicle speeds at the crossing
• The layout and design of the parking access and parking spaces require reversing manoeuvres
• Bicycle access to and from the station square is poorly designed and limited to a single access point, creating a bottleneck
• Parking spaces outside the station square are unattractive, and access to them is almost impossible during peak hours due to the heavy traffic on the adjacent road

Additional Remarks

• Double-decker bicycle racks are only of limited suitability for e-bikes due to their weight and are barely usable for children and older adults.
• The green spaces along the western and eastern edges provide limited added value and could be better utilised for additional bicycle parking. The existing mature trees should be preserved and integrated into the overall design. The southern part of the station square receives little, if any, consideration in the proposed concept.

In summary, we conclude that the proposed major redevelopment offers limited added value, particularly in view of the planned Master Plan for the Muttenz Station District. A targeted upgrade and refurbishment of the existing temporary station square would be a more effective solution, delivering greater benefits in terms of access, circulation and multimodal connectivity.

We kindly ask that these points be taken into account in the further development of the project and would welcome a revision of the proposed design. Representing the interests of local businesses, industry and their employees is our highest priority, and we are convinced that our comments make a valuable contribution on behalf of these stakeholders.

We would be pleased to engage in further dialogue and would welcome the opportunity for a constructive exchange.

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz (WiFöM)

President

Dr. Felix Hanisch

Vice President

Tamara Hersperger

Update as of 2 December 2025

The statement was discussed with the project leads (TBA BL and RK&P, overall project manager for the Basel-Landschaft bus station project) during a clarification meeting. We are pleased that several of the suggestions put forward by Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz (WiFöM) have been incorporated into the project. Among other improvements, larger and better-located areas will be provided for shared mobility services and motorcycles, an additional pedestrian crossing will be assessed, and discussions will be held with the Municipality and SBB regarding additional bicycle parking and further e-bike charging stations. Furthermore, Wirtschaftsförderung Muttenz (WiFöM) will participate in the collaborative planning process for the Muttenz Station District test planning project.

The minutes of the clarification meeting can be found here.