Public transport use hits high record in Barcelona area but private vehicles still dominate

Private vehicles remain the preferred option for people traveling in the Barcelona area on weekdays, but public transport use is on the rise, according to the 2024 Weekday Mobility Survey (EMEF).

Metro, bus, and train trips reached a record daily average of 3.6 million, making up 18.2% of total travel, the highest since 2017. That’s an 8.6% increase from 2023 and 9.1% more than in 2019. 

Officials attribute the increase to discounts on regular public transport tickets, which led 14.1% of people to use public transport more often and 1.1% to start using it for the first time.

Manuel Valdés, general director of the ATM (Metropolitan Transport Authority), highlighted that many users are switching from multi-trip tickets to season tickets like the T-usual. He explained the price reduction has made these tickets much more popular.

Reliance on private vehicles

However, car and motorbike use grew by 0.9% compared to 2023, reaching an average of 6.6 million trips per day and a 33.5% share.

Active mobility, including walking, cycling, and scooters, dropped 7.6% from last year, accounting for 48.3% of all trips with 9.5 million journeys. In the area covered by public transport services, total daily trips fell 2.2% to 19.8 million compared to 2023.

The survey showed residents from areas around Barcelona made the most weekday car trips, with 5.6 million and a 31.5% share. On the other hand, people living in the city made fewer car trips, with under one million and a 16.7% share. The broader metro area, which includes nearby towns, accounted for 2.6 million trips or 23.4%.

According to the study, men were more likely to drive than women, with 31.4% of trips by car compared to 26.2%. Yet, active mobility was the most common choice for both, at 50.7% for women and 45.7% for men. 

More reliance on cars and motorbikes is seen outside the Barcelona region where public transport use drops the farther you go. For every 100 journeys by car or motorbike, 208 were made by public transportation in the region. Yet, the ratio in surrounding counties decreased dramatically.