Mobility in Potsdam Bornstedt

Mobility characterises our everyday lives and has a significant influence on how sustainable, flexible and liveable cities are. The MaaS L.A.B.S. research project aimed to make a contribution to improving mobility in Potsdam Bornstedt. The aim was to develop an app that could be used to book and pay for local public transport as well as new car, bike and ridesharing services flexibly and according to demand. This should make low-emission forms of transport even more attractive and easier to access.

The "Digital Tracks Potsdam" mobility study made an important contribution to gaining insights into the movement behaviour of people in and around Bornstedt and drawing conclusions for sustainable mobility solutions. It was carried out by the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the University of Siegen and the German Aerospace Centre.

Realisation

Interested parties who regularly travel to, from and through Potsdam Bornstedt were invited to take part in the study, regardless of their chosen mode of transport. The mobility behaviour of the participants was recorded in two ways:

Route recording via smartphone: Participants used the DLR MovingLab app to record their everyday journeys. After completing a journey, they were able to view their data and correct it if necessary.

In-app survey: During the study period, participants were asked questions about their mobility behaviour in order to better understand motivations, routines and hurdles.

This was used to analyse how people in Bornstedt actually move around, which means of transport they use, why they make certain decisions and which obstacles stand in the way of a switch to lower-emission mobility. The aim was to identify potentials and levers that would enable the integration of new forms of mobility and meaningfully support the expansion of existing services.

Results

The study reached over 40 participants, who together used seven different modes of transport. A total of 496 journeys were recorded and more than 5,700 kilometres were documented:

• 453 kilometres by bike
• 656 kilometres by train or tram
• 53 kilometres by bus
• 3,404 kilometres by car
• 691 kilometres on foot
• 159 metres by ferry

The data provided detailed insights into the everyday mobility behaviour of the Bornstedt population. It became clear that the car still accounted for a large proportion of transport, but that eco-mobility, consisting of public transport, cycling and walking, also played a significant role.