Münster tops ADAC mobility ranking as Oberhausen ranks last among 29 cities

Münster leads, Oberhausen trails

The ADAC Monitor "Mobil in der Stadt" asked residents, commuters and visitors how satisfied they are with mobility in 29 mid-sized German cities. Münster ranked first nationwide, as it did in 2021, with an index value of 32 points. Oberhausen came last and is the city where residents are least satisfied with their mobility. The index runs from -100 to +100, and the survey drew on more than 11,600 respondents. ADAC transport president Peter König said a top place requires strength in several areas at once.

“Good mobility comes from integrated planning that takes all modes of transport equally into account.”

Gains, losses and the national picture

Mönchengladbach made the biggest gain nationwide, climbing from 29th to 18th. Kiel rose to fourth place from eleventh in 2021, while Braunschweig placed fifth and topped the field for legroom and seat space on buses. Potsdam took sixth place, six spots better than in 2021, and ranked second for walking. Only four of the 29 cities improved their overall rating, and Kiel is among them. Losses were steeper elsewhere: Magdeburg fell from fifth in 2021 to 19th, and Halle slipped from ninth to 16th.

Magdeburg's overall index dropped from 30 to 11 points and Halle's from 25 to 14, though both still have more satisfied than dissatisfied road users.

Magdeburg 202130

Magdeburg 202611

Halle 202125

Halle 202614

Magdeburg 2021

30 index points

Magdeburg 2026

11 index points

Halle 2021

25 index points

Halle 2026

14 index points

Data from the article text

Lübeck placed 20th, and 61 percent of its respondents were dissatisfied with construction sites, while only 5 percent were satisfied. Satisfaction with local public transport there rose clearly. Across the cities surveyed, overall satisfaction with mobility fell.

Drivers are the least satisfied group

Car drivers form the least satisfied group in road traffic nationwide, according to the ADAC, and they were especially frustrated in every surveyed city. In Magdeburg and Halle the car index stands at minus 15, against a federal average of minus 9. ADAC transport expert Nils Horschick said Magdeburg residents were especially upset by construction-related closures. Two dilapidated bridges on the Magdeburger Ring were demolished in 2025, and traffic is now partly routed over temporary bridges. In Halle, drivers are mainly unhappy with the condition of roads and bridges, Horschick added. Across the ten NRW cities, the main grievances include construction site management, parking fees and the aggressive and reckless behaviour of e-scooter riders.

NRW and Potsdam: infrastructure and funding

Only Münster among the ten NRW cities reached the top ten. Gelsenkirchen (22nd), Aachen (23rd), Wuppertal (24th) and Bonn (25th) landed in the lower third, while Krefeld (27th) and Oberhausen (29th) were the state's last two. Walkers and public transport users are the most satisfied groups in NRW. In eight of the ten NRW cities, dissatisfaction grew compared with the 2021 survey, and in Oberhausen it now outweighs satisfaction.

Münster1

Bielefeld11

Bochum14

Mönchengladbach18

Gelsenkirchen22

Aachen23

Wuppertal24

Bonn25

Krefeld27

Oberhausen29

Münster

1 rank

Bielefeld

11 rank

Bochum

14 rank

Mönchengladbach

18 rank

Gelsenkirchen

22 rank

Aachen

23 rank

Wuppertal

24 rank

Bonn

25 rank

Krefeld

27 rank

Oberhausen

29 rank

Data from the article text

Münster city building councillor Robin Denstorff said the city had pursued tailored solutions for different areas, bought more electric buses and equipped many stops with real-time information.

“Better information leads to higher satisfaction.”

Oberbürgermeister Felix Heinrichs (SPD) credited the improved position of Mönchengladbach to investment in a mobility transition. The city plans an electric bus fleet by 2030, and many stops have been made barrier-free.

“But there is still a lot of work ahead of us.”

The ADAC cites the replacement of the Lange Brücke and a tram line to Krampnitz as examples of large infrastructure projects in Potsdam, and warns that the ongoing budget freeze could make it harder to fix infrastructure deficits in time. Potsdam ranks tenth for cars, seventh for cycling and fifth for local transport. Satisfaction with bus and tram reliability fell noticeably over the past five years.