Pedestrian traffic in Switzerland
Pedestrian Traffic Switzerland is a Swiss professional association for pedestrians . It was founded in 1972 as a public-law association under the name of the “Working Group on the Legal Basis for Foot and Hiking Trails”. The aim was to launch a popular initiative to promote pedestrian traffic. In 1985 the association was renamed to the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Recht für Pedestrian” (ARF). It has had its current name since 1999.
The main successes of the association are the adoption of the popular initiative to promote footpaths and hiking trails with approval of 77.9 percent in 1979 and subsequently the introduction of the Foot and Hiking Path Act (FWG), which came into force in 1987.
The association is recognized by the federal government as a specialist organization with its own right to lodge a complaint and supports the federal government and the cantons in implementing the footpaths and hiking trails law.
Pedestrian traffic in Switzerland has around 1500 members. These include private individuals, institutions, companies, but also 118 municipalities. Seven of the ten largest Swiss cities are members: Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur, Lucerne, St. Gallen.