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Findings from various sources of information, such as mobility panels, permanent road traffic recording devices, and model calculation methods, indicate that for the past few years passenger traffic demand in Germany has not been increasing but has shown notable evidence of stagnation. An analysis of various relevant factors clarifies that this has in fact been an emerging tendency. This is true especially with respect to the demographic changes in Germany and the increased probability of more scarce and definitely more expensive oil resources; further stagnation of traffic demand appears imminent. That leads to the conclusion that infrastructure development must not be based on the idea of everlasting growth with expansions in areas in which the symptoms of traffic growth have been most obvious. It will rather be necessary to identify accurately specific areas of growth or stagnation and to find a suitable scale for further development. Future planning should concentrate on modification rather than on expansion of infrastructure facilities.

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Results are presented from analysis of individual mode choice behavior in the longitudinal section in Germany. The findings show that about half of German drivers also use public transport. Because they use different modes, they can be characterized as multimodals. This group will constitute an increasing share of the public transport clientele in coming decades because the decline of captive public transport riders is foreseeable. Therefore it is necessary to understand multimodal behavior because in an environment where travelers have increasing options, it is important to know how they make use of their options. It was found that multimodals employ public transport for specific purposes, whereas the car is universal. Less than 20% of multimodals use public transport on a regular basis, for example, to commute. Most multimodals use it occasionally. Multimodals opt for public transport in specific situations because it is the better option and not because there is no car available. Although for families the car is often the better choice, single persons tend to be more multimodal. Commuting by public transport was found to be a gateway to the use of public transport for other purposes.

Cycling demand has been growing in recent years in Germany. Today, during an average week, about 30% of the German population, including all age classes and rural as well as urban populations, use the bicycle as a means of transportation. Cyclists use their bicycles on average 3 days per week for about 30% of their trips. The bicycle, however, is a mode used for specific segments of everyday travel, particularly short distances, unlike the car, which is almost universal. Hence, cyclists exhibit multimodal travel behavior (i.e., they combine the bicycle with other modes and switch to public transport or the car when the bicycle is not suitable). The domain of the bicycle as a means of transport is a radius around home that on average is about 3 to 5 km, dependent on the urban form. Within this radius, the car with its flexibility is the only serious competitor to nonmotorized modes. For the neighborhood-oriented travel of cyclists, public transport performs well only in specific niches, such as travel at night or commuting to school or university. Here, public transport and the bicycle are competitors. Nevertheless, from a system perspective they are allies: each provides important components for a multimodal mobility tool kit that enables travelers to cultivate mobility that is less automobile oriented.