According to a survey conducted last fall (link in Estonian), 87 percent of Tallinn residents are satisfied with the living environment in the Estonian capital, 23 percent of whom are very satisfied.

While these figures may seem positive, they actually represent a decline from 2023, when 94 percent of respondents were satisfied and 37 percent very satisfied with it.

Overall, this also marks the lowest satisfaction rating the city has seen in a decade.

Compared with 2023, the only rating to have improved significantly was for bike parking facilities in the city center. Meanwhile, ratings have dropped considerably for traffic culture, vehicle parking availability in the city center, the state of public transport as well as waste management, according to the researchers who conducted the survey.

Dissatisfaction also prevailed in terms of roads and mobility, with the lowest rating going to winter road maintenance with just 38-39 percent satisfaction among respondents. Traffic safety ratings have fallen as well, from the perspectives of drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

The survey was conducted in August and September, when the city's current ruling coalition had been in power for less than six months. As a result, the survey does not provide an assessment of how the new city government handled winter in the city, particularly street maintenance, nor does it reflect upcoming changes to public transport.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform) told ERR that the latest satisfaction survey provides little insight into how residents view the current city government. He did infer, however, that people's expectations have risen, which he finds understandable.

"Whether it's road maintenance or something else, I think it's a very good thing that people's expectations have gone up," Pere said.

"And they want a better urban environment," he continued. "They want less noise, more greenery; they want smoother traffic, improved road safety; they want better car access to businesses; they want better bike lanes; they want e-scooters to be parked in designated areas. And they're voicing these expectations, and these expectations are rising. And I think it's a positive thing that people are demanding."

According to Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa), the survey revealed that many of the things the city has been working on are already in good shape.

"But there are also areas where things aren't going well — for example, 30 percent of people are dissatisfied with the parking situation," Järvan acknowledged.

"Now the question is whether to continue investing money in things that people are already satisfied with, or focus more on areas where satisfaction is lower," he added. "This is definitely something that the city government needs to discuss."

Pere: Tallinn isn't pedestrian-friendly

According to the survey, 78 percent of respondents consider Tallinn pedestrian-friendly — but there is a catch. The city is rated most pedestrian-friendly by those who primarily drive (85 percent); those who mostly walk are less enthusiastic (73 percent).

Pere, meanwhile, was more blunt, admitting that Tallinn is not pedestrian-friendly.

"This is reflected in traffic statistics — crashes, pedestrians being hit in crosswalks," he highlighted. "And children too. No, Tallinn still has work to do; Tallinn city government, both now and in the future, must continue working to ensure that 8- and 80-year-olds alike can safely and comfortably move independently on the city's streets and sidewalks."

Traffic safety in general also remains an issue. Compared with the previous year, residents' ratings for mobility safety have declined for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike, and people believe traffic culture has worsened as well. Pere and Järvan offered different explanations for this.

"One major issue is that the number and use of electric scooters have started bothering a significant portion of the population," Järvan said. "And that's entirely understandable — when an elderly person is walking on the sidewalk and a scooter speeds by too close, of course that's startling. And that's one reason we're introducing regulations for micromobility devices, making previously voluntary deals with rental companies mandatory."

Pere, meanwhile, said his own experience suggests that at least in terms of driving, traffic culture has actually improved in some respects.

"Driving is calmer, speed limits are better adhered to, people yield more and there's less aggressive maneuvering," he noted.

Even so, he acknowledged that underfunded public transport has had a negative impact on both traffic safety and traffic culture, leading to fewer and fewer people using public transport.

"If we neglect public transport, it's only natural that people don't use it," Pere acknowledged. "And why should they? If it doesn't work, then of course we'll see more of that aggressive driving."

Järvan, meanwhile, saw things from a slightly different angle.

"Regarding traffic culture, I'd say that Tallinn's streets haven't gotten any wider, but each year, the number of road users goes up about 3 percent," he highlighted. "And as the number of road users goes up, more and more of them get anxious, which often ultimately translates into poor traffic behavior."

While there has been discussion about lowering speed limits in Central Tallinn, according to the survey, only a quarter of drivers support reducing speed limits in the city center.

Hit-or-miss public transport

The number of public transport users in Tallinn last year remained steady on year, and 84 percent of Tallinn residents reported they were satisfied with public transport. Just over 40 percent of the city's residents use public transport.

Survey results, however, were somewhat contradictory. While 25 percent of Tallinn residents believe public transport has improved over the past year, 62 percent believe it has remained the same and 13 percent say it has worsened. The main issues with public transport cited by respondents included unpleasant fellow passengers, an inadequate route network and service being too infrequent.

Since the survey was conducted before the second phase of route network changes took effect last fall, which affected many of the city's bus routes, these changes were not yet reflected in these survey results.

Järvan suggested that Tallinn residents may still harbor lingering negative impressions from the previous phase of changes, which he pointed out the previous city government had implemented without consulting with residents.

"This definitely had a negative impact on public trust," he acknowledged. "We put a lot of effort into involving residents and ensuring everyone could have their say. And considering the scale of the changes we made, the process has gone very smoothly. And actually, based on the results, we can see that public transport usage is going up."

According to the deputy mayor, further route network changes are planned as well, but this next phase will be left up to the next city government, following this fall's local elections. He did add, however, that there are still some adjustments planned for the second phase.

Despite these reorganizations, however, transfers still remain a problem: 38 percent of public transport users have to change lines to reach their main destination. Most of them take up to 10 minutes to do so, and a third take even longer. The time spent on transfers has also increased somewhat on year. One in three riders takes more than half an hour in total to reach their destination.

Järvan linked this to the city's route network changes as well. Fewer lines now converge in the city center, which means that buses can reach more places, and the route network is starting to actually resemble a real network, he pointed out, acknowledging that in some areas, this may now mean having to transfer between lines.

"We also see that the primary travel demand, to put it very simply, is from the district centers to Viru Center," the deputy mayor explained. "But if we were to create a route network like it was before, with spokes all converging in the center, then several other corridors would be left unserved altogether. I agree that this may prompt the need for transfers for some, but the flip side is that fewer people are left without a viable public transport option at all. This is a long-term process."

Roadwork also factor in declining satisfaction

Tallinn Transport Department attributes the decline in overall satisfaction, as well as dissatisfaction with traffic and parking, to major roadwork projects. Pere noted that significant efforts have already been made to minimize the disruptions they cause.

"Roadwork was much better managed last summer already and will be this summer as well," Pere said. "How, exactly? First, we set up a notification system and started issuing press releases and sharing updates via city channels a week in advance about where road repairs would be happening. Second, I made sure that roadwork wouldn't be done during rush hour unless absolutely necessary. And we found a new contractor for asphalt repairs, which allowed us to lay more new asphalt last year."

The deputy mayor added that roadwork can and must allow for as much traffic flow to continue as possible. For example, at least three lanes — two in one direction and one in the other — will be kept open at all times throughout the overhaul of Peterburi tee starting this spring.

The survey was commissioned by the Tallinn Strategic Management Office and conducted by Turu-uuringute AS in fall 2024, and included phone interviews with a total of 1,504 Tallinn residents aged 18 and up.

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