The international research project EASIER pursues a clear approach: making sustainable mobility attractive by combining different forms of mobility. This requires research at various starting points.
Creating new insights into user behaviour and preferences in urban mobility,
Seamless integration of active and shared modes of transport with public transport through network design,
Efficient fare systems that promote the use of sustainable modes of transport while securing public transport revenues,
Increasing the catchment areas of railway stations through attractively designed access and alighting facilities,
Improving seamless transfer situations at railway stations,
A more effective legal framework to promote improved mobility.
Within the project, the DLR Institute of Transport Research is focussing on the attractiveness of transfer points.
53% of the journey time by public transport takes place by train, the remaining 47% is spent walking to, from or within the station (Hillnhütter, 2016).
Focus on attractive transfers
The proportion of active mobility (walking and cycling) and local public transport is currently in great need of improvement. By designing and planning attractive access to public transport and connections between different modes of transport on foot and by bicycle, the Institute of Transport Research is investigating various reorganisation measures.
Two different case studies in Berlin were defined in consultation with the local partners. Public transport stops and their surroundings, in particular the footpaths that connect different transport locations and stops, are the subject of the study. Using 'Tactical Urbansim', a temporary change to the built environment, attractive transfer situations were to be tested. These were made immersive in a virtual world.
Transfer locations with challenges
Long transfer distances
Not all transfer points can always be ideally located together. In Berlin Lichtenberg, the transfer route from the underground and S-Bahn station to the buses involves a footpath across a station forecourt.
The so-called Jelbi stations at Haselhorst underground station and at Lichtenberg S-Bahn and U-Bahn station were selected as case studies in consultation with the local partners. These are mobility stations where several means of transport are available in a designated area, including car sharing and electric scooter sharing. The nearest stops are located around 100 to 200 metres away and are physically separated by roads and other barriers. Both case studies therefore have a different spatial structure and situation in the neighbourhood.
Spatial separation of the various mobility options
At Lichtenberg station, passengers have to decide which direction they want to travel in. The mobility station is not only located on the other side of the road, but also forms a triangle with the bus station and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations.
With virtual reality, remodelling measures can be experienced immersively before they are implemented. This not only whets the appetite for more - the specific measures can be evaluated and adapted. In this way, possible problems or concerns of respondents and users can be addressed.
During the testing in the case studies in Berlin, the scientists were able to gain exciting insights into the methodology and transformation, which are being prepared as a transferable blueprint in the EASIER project. The aim is to develop recommendations for action for cities and administrations.
Immerse yourself completely in a potential redesign: For many of those surveyed, the experience is a highlight and simplifies communication about implementation ideas.
EASIER - Tactical Urbanism VR
Your consent to the storage of data ('cookies') is required for the playback of this video on Youtube.com. You can view and change your current data storage settings at any time under privacy.
EASIER - Tactical Urbanism VR
Immerse yourself completely in a potential redesign: For many of those surveyed, the experience is a highlight and simplifies communication about implementation ideas.
The project is coordinated by Prof Otto Anker Nielsen from Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) (Denmark), Institut for Teknologi, Ledelse og Økonomi.
The project consortium consists of:
Metroselskabet (METRO) (Dänemark)
Region Hovedstaden (RH) (Dänemark)
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU) (Norwegen)
Lunds Universitet (ULUND) (Schweden)
Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) (Deutschland)
Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik (DIFU) (Deutschland)
In addition, 25 other partners have signed a letter of intent, but will not receive any funding. The Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection Berlin, the district of Spandau, BVG, voi, Fuss e.V. and Pro Bahn have signed letters of intent for the research area being investigated by DLR.
