Call for examples of best practice

Good examples of the municipal transport turnaround wanted!

Name: polisMOBILITY
Start: 2024-05-22
End: 2024-05-23
Location: Koelnmesse GmbH

The groundwork is a successful transport turnaround, which is done in the cities, municipals and districts. Throughout the Republic more and more innovative administrations, transport companies and municipal companies are facing the challenges and are implementing creativity, courage and expertise to get custom-fit solutions off the ground.

These are the selected best practices 2024

CitySTAGE | polisMOBILITY | cities + regions

The many applications in response to our Call for Best Practices have shown that the transport transition is already well underway in many places. Exciting, innovative projects from almost all federal states and some neighbouring countries did not make the decision easy for us. At the end of the selection process, twelve municipal best practices will be presented in a short presentation at citySTAGE.

In addition, all submissions will be exhibited in the entrance area of openSTAGE and presented there in a poster session during the lunch breaks on both days of the event. This will give all participants of the polisMOBILITY expo & conference the opportunity to be inspired by the variety of local transport projects and to enter into dialogue with those responsible.

The following twelve projects will be given the opportunity to speak:

Mobility, climate and noise protection action plan - A guide for small and medium-sized municipalities

Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH

The ambitious climate protection targets for the coming years make it clear that measures that can be implemented in the short term and are also very effective for climate protection are particularly important. This is where the Action Plan for Mobility, Climate Protection and Noise Abatement comes in: It is an instrument for integrated, climate and noise protection-orientated transport planning, which is aimed in particular at small and medium-sized municipalities with up to 50,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Problem

Transport pollutes the environment and the climate through greenhouse gases, noise and air pollutants and land consumption. A holistic view of the transport sector against the backdrop of climate protection targets is essential in order to drive forward the transport transition. There are many solutions and planning approaches for urban areas, although these are often not tailored to small and medium-sized municipalities and rural areas. This is where the action plan for mobility, climate and noise protection comes in.

Solution

With the help of climate protection-oriented transport planning, the state of Baden-Württemberg supports small and medium-sized municipalities, urban and rural districts in becoming active in climate protection in the transport sector. A holistic approach is chosen, which is necessary to achieve the climate protection targets in transport. The guidelines for the action plan for mobility, climate and noise protection build on current planning practices and are based on the SUMP guidelines.

Mobility stations for neighbourhoods - the secret of success from Düsseldorf

Connected Mobility Düsseldorf GmbH

Our best practice is dedicated to the provision of sustainable and networked mobility services within neighbourhoods. It is based in Düsseldorf. Connected Mobility Düsseldorf GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the city, plans, builds and operates mobility stations on behalf of the state capital of Düsseldorf, thus creating a city-wide mobility network. This is intended to contribute to the mobility transition.

Problem

Many private individuals still use their own car within the city. The neighbourhood stations are intended to make it easier to switch from cars to sustainable mobility alternatives by making them available "on your doorstep". This should structurally reduce the need to own a car and bring about a sustainable change in mobility behaviour in line with the mobility transition.

Solution

A broad network of neighbourhood stations has already been created and will be expanded across the board in the coming years. The provision of mobility services directly in the neighbourhood makes it easier for residents to switch to sustainable mobility alternatives and raises awareness of the mobility transition. This can already be seen in the high usage figures and utilisation rates at neighbourhood stations as well as the positive response.

Superblocks: On the road, get set, go! - Co-productive alliances in urban development

Superblocks Leipzig e.V. / City of Leipzig

With the current rejection in the Bundesrat, the necessary reforms of the StVG and StVO have been temporarily put on ice. How can local authorities nevertheless get the mobility turnaround on its feet within the existing legal framework so that our public spaces do not continue to fall by the wayside? The city of Leipzig wants to bring Barcelona to Leipzig through a comprehensive concept for traffic calming, in close partnership between civil society, politics and administration.

Problem

In the Neustadt-Neuschönefeld and Volkmarsdorf neighbourhoods, the population has grown significantly by 33%. This development is leading to signs of overuse and density conflicts in the neighbourhoods. In addition, the residential population is increasingly burdened by a higher volume of traffic. Space for vulnerable population groups is becoming increasingly scarce. There is often not enough space for children and families, as the available space is predominantly occupied by motorised traffic.

Solution

Our approach to coping with population growth and increased traffic consists of urban design and traffic law measures to reduce through traffic and redesign the space for residential and commercial use. In 2023, a traffic trial was successfully co-produced and a major expansion is planned for both neighbourhoods in 2024. However, as Germany is not Spain, there are many hurdles and problems to overcome.

JOBWÄRTS - Operational mobility in the city of Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg district

The JOBWÄRTS programme works in the field of municipal mobility transition. Based at the Federal City of Bonn, the team works with employers in the city of Bonn and the neighbouring Rhein-Sieg district. The city of Bonn is working together with partners and stakeholders to avoid commuter journeys at peak times and to change the modal split in favour of eco-mobility.

Problem

The JOBWÄRTS programme helps to prevent traffic jams in the region; every traffic jam has a negative impact on the environment, air quality and climate, and costs people time. In addition to the high daily traffic density, especially in the morning and evening peak hours, the expansion of the federal trunk road network (A 59, A 565 and new construction of the Tausendfüßler) is expected to cause considerable disruption for years to come.

Solution

As Bonn is facing major challenges due to the increasing volume of traffic, particularly in commuter traffic, JOBWÄRTS wants to motivate as many people as possible to switch to bicycles, buses and trains. To this end, JOBWÄRTS offers a concept that includes, for example, a mobility analysis and the organisation of mobility test weeks at employers. There are around 60,000 employees in the programme and 7,843 participants have taken part in the JOBWÄRTS mobility test weeks since 2019.

Accompanying mobility measures - procedure & cooperation: Closure of the A544

City of Aachen, IHK Aachen & Autobahn GmbH

Due to the renewal of the Haarbachtal bridge, the A544 motorway will be fully closed for a total of 22 months from 15.01.2024. This will affect commuters from the Aachen region and beyond, local residents and the economy. To reduce the negative effects, flanking mobility measures have been developed and implemented in cooperation between the City of Aachen, the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Autobahn GmbH. Communication and participation are being implemented in this form for the first time in Germany.

Problem

Accompanying mobility measures are intended to encourage road users to change their behaviour and reduce traffic at peak times, especially commuter traffic. The aim is to create capacity for journeys that cannot be shifted. Increased mobility management and the associated expansion of services during construction measures should also bring about a lasting change in mobility behaviour and contribute to the traffic turnaround.

Solution

Accompanying mobility measures were developed that can bring about a change in travel behaviour, specifically the avoidance of journeys, the postponement of journeys to off-peak times and the use of other means of transport. Target group-specific information and options, initially for the commuter target group, were developed and made available to a large target group by all those involved. The evaluation will be carried out during the lockdown.

BIM4people - Participatory design of sustainable mobility

RWTH Aachen, Business and Innovation Network City of Düren GmbH

Together with the city of Düren, the City of Düren Business and Innovation Network is revitalising and repurposing a brownfield site at Düren railway station. In addition to innovative research buildings, the resulting innovation quarter will also house a sustainable paper factory. The mFUND research project carried out with RWTH Aachen University is investigating the participatory design of the project with the public in order to design sustainable mobility options.

Problem

As structures change, resistance to political decisions is becoming increasingly vocal. At the same time, there is a growing demand for greater public involvement in planning and approval processes. New forms of public participation open up numerous opportunities, but also harbour challenges. The aim of the project is to prepare and visualise existing BIM model information in such a way that it can be understood by the public.

Solution

As part of our research project, a BIM-based participation platform is being developed that enables the public to provide georeferenced and thematically sorted feedback. This feedback will then be made available to local authorities and planners via a Common Data Environment (CDE) so that it can be incorporated into further planning. This allows planning and authorisation procedures to be accelerated and made more citizen-friendly.

Charging infrastructure in the housing stock - strategy for the holistic development of an LIS

Allbau Managemenentgesellschaft mbH & VEOMO Mobility GmbH

Allbau GmbH, a municipal housing company in Essen, has worked with Veomo Mobility GmbH to develop a comprehensive strategy for integrating charging infrastructure into its portfolio in order to support the trend towards sustainable mobility and meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. This initiative represents a unique approach that aims to ensure comprehensive, long-term planning across the entire portfolio.

Problem

The residential location has a significant influence on mobility, so it is very important for owners to integrate innovative and sustainable mobility solutions into their entire property portfolio. From a social perspective, housing companies have a responsibility to create a sustainable mobility offering at the residential location. So how can housing companies promote a sustainable, future-oriented and user-optimised mobility transition?

Solution

To date, a strategy has been developed that forms the basis for ensuring smooth implementation, actively participating in the mobility transition and expanding the charging station infrastructure. The special feature is that, in addition to new construction, the solution approach primarily takes into account the equipment of the existing infrastructure.

MOBI - Dresden's multimodal offer world - From project to best practice

Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG

The MOBI project offers multimodal transport services for the city's approximately 560,000 residents and visitors. In cooperation between Dresden's transport operators and the state capital, over 60 multimodal connection stations, known as MOBIpoints, have been created in recent years. The MOBIpoints expand the traditional bus and rail services to include various sharing services (MOBIcar car sharing, MOBIbike bike sharing, MOBIshuttle on-demand transport) and e-fuelling.

Problem

Probably the most central challenge of the transport transition in Dresden is the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2035. Emissions are to be reduced with sustainable and small-scale mobility solutions such as those offered by MOBI. Another challenge is the limited availability of space, especially in the city centre. MOBI products pursue the idea of "sharing instead of owning" and thus contribute to the more efficient use of public space.

Solution

MOBIbike, which is operated in cooperation with nextbike, is one of the most successful bike-sharing systems in Germany and recorded almost two million rentals in 2023 alone. The more than 1,500 bikes cover around 60% of the city's population. There are currently 450 car-sharing vehicles, almost 170 of which are parked at one of the MOBIpoints. The MOBIshuttle operates in four districts of Dresden and is becoming increasingly popular.

PriMa + ÖV - a mobility platform to improve accessibility

Verkehrsbund Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien, HAWK, Interlink, TU Darmstadt

In PriMa+ÖV, a mobility platform will be developed by 2026 that will create complementary services to public transport in rural areas under the umbrella of the Upper Lusatia-Lower Silesia Transport Association (VON). The project is being trialled in the network area and thus in the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz. The project partners are VON (consortium leader), the district's own development company ENO, Interlink GmbH and the universities TU Darmstadt and HAWK. The mFUND project is funded by the BMDV.

Problem

As in other rural regions, not all locations in the pilot region can be served all day by scheduled services, which results in an accessibility deficit and low mobility participation. The tight municipal budget situation leaves no room for manoeuvre for the development and operation of cost-intensive on-demand systems with area coverage. For this reason, existing journey capacities are to be upgraded and integrated into the public transport system.

Solution

A mobility platform is being developed in which taxis, private individuals and possibly also other fleet operators (e.g. social transport services) can offer journeys in addition to public transport. These complementary services are intended to serve as a feeder to public transport as far as possible and increase its utilisation. A key component of the project is the direct involvement of the public and transport providers through public relations and networking work in order to increase both supply and demand.

Hamburg's future public transport prioritisation - A C-ITS concept

Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Bax & Company

In order to reduce emissions and air pollution, the city of Hamburg is aiming for a significant modal shift from motorised private transport to environmentally friendly alternatives such as public transport and cycling. In order to increase the attractiveness of public transport, Hamburg relies on dynamic and needs-based bus priority at traffic lights. Prioritisation shortens journey times, improves traffic flow and increases passenger comfort by reducing braking.

Problem

There is a tight timeframe for replacing the previous prioritisation of analogue and digital radio. The frequencies for analogue radio will be reallocated by the end of 2028. In addition, digital radio is too inflexible to adequately handle the complex traffic situations on Hamburg's roads. Hamburg has therefore opted for a new, innovative solution that enables reliable and efficient prioritisation: Cooperative Intelligent Traffic Systems (C-ITS).

Solution

As part of the ITS-CUBE project, Hamburg is investing in and developing an innovative bus priority system based on C-ITS technology. ITS-CUBE is funded by the European Investment Bank with 1.92 million euros and enables a comprehensive investment programme of 64 million euros. The first phase of the migration plan is already underway and up to 600 intersections and 2,000 buses in Hamburg are to be equipped with the new technology by 2030.

Optimisation of school transport - demand-based and data-driven for greater efficiency

Kommunale Verkehrsgesellschaft Lippe / ioki

The "Optimisation of school transport" measure is part of the "Lippe intelligent networking" pilot project, which is funded by the BMDV. The stakeholders involved are KVG Lippe as the local transport company and client, ioki GmbH as the contractor and Vindelici Advisors as the project manager of the pilot project. The planning area is located in rural areas and is made up of the five municipalities of Blomberg, Horn-Bad Meinberg, Extertal, Dörentrup and Barntrup in the district of Lippe.

Problem

With its large share of public transport and the induced peak loads at school times, school transport is very vehicle- and driver-intensive and therefore cost-intensive. By over-planning the existing timetables, some of which have grown historically, while minimising resources, freed-up resources can be invested in a more attractive overall service or saved in view of the shortage of drivers and cost pressure. The central aim was also to improve the quality of the service, e.g. shorter journey times for schoolchildren.

Solution

School transport was optimised based on demand and supported by data, with a focus on the minimum number of necessary rotations and operational resources. The introduction of a possible staggered school timetable was also analysed and potential savings identified. Certain framework conditions are guaranteed for school transport, thus creating a more attractive service. The results form a basis for discussion with politicians and committees with the aim of transferring the programme into real operation.

Ecologically responsible road space

Sopot

Sopot is a health resort located in the centre of the Tricity agglomeration. The city is very attractive to tourists; over 2 million tourists visit it every year. The automobile pressure is very strong; however, being aware of contemporary challenges, the city firmly focuses on ecology and reducing exhaust emissions. There is already a ban on burning coal in Sopot, and we strive to counteract climate change by taking care of greenery and developing biologically active areas.

Problem

How do we reconcile the need for sustainable mobility, ecology, flood safety and a presentable appearance? Is it possible to create a road space that will be a place where you want to be? What should the access streets to the city's most prestigious areas look like? And finally, how to convince residents who already have too little parking space for them to park their cars?

Solution

In 2022, we created the first woonerf zone in Sopot. Parkowa Street was transformed from a traditional two-way asphalt road into a 1.2 km long urban garden while maintaining all existing functions. It has become a universal space, friendly to people of all ages, including people with motor or visual impairments. The road was narrowed to one lane, and the free space was planted with trees, shrubs, perennials and flowers. New, energy-saving lighting has appeared.

Further options for participation

In addition to the Call for Best Practices, there are further opportunities for local authorities and municipal players to get involved in the polisMOBILITY expo & conference.

cities + regions

You can find more information on participation opportunities in the exhibition area below on the cities + regions page.

About cities + regions

Suggestions, questions or similar?

Do you have questions about the process, are you unsure whether your project fits the call, or would you like to tell us something else? Then please contact us at polismobility@mueller-busmann.com .

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