Active2Public Transport
Brief information
The "Active2Public Transport" project aims to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector in the Danube region by promoting active and emission-free forms of mobility such as cycling and walking in combination with public transport such as buses and trains.
The project is funded by the European Union as part of the Interreg Danube Region programme and will run for a period of 2.5 years.
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EU funding programme
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more information
Take part now!
Mobile without a car
Discover 4 weeks of cycling and public transport
Why does the campaign exist?
The campaign is part of the EU-funded project "Active2Public Transport" took place. The project with 11 partners from 9 countries aims to improve the link between active mobility (cycling and walking) and public transport in order to promote sustainable mobility as a whole. The campaign aims to encourage people to test sustainable transport solutions in their everyday lives and change their own mobility behaviour. Your experiences as a test person - both positive and negative - are important insights that flow into our project and contribute significantly to its success. The project is taking place in parallel in four other partner countries in the Danube region.
How does the campaign work?
As a test person, you give up your car for four weeks and instead use a combination of public transport and active mobility (cycling, walking) for your daily journeys.
Who can take part?
We are looking for 10 test persons aged 18 and over in Ulm, Neu-Ulm and the surrounding area who currently travel to and from work and everyday journeys mainly by car (driver/passenger) and would like to test sustainable means of transport.
What do we offer?
We offer a high quality bike and free public transport ticket for the 4-week trial period. Available models are
- Folding bike: ideal for commuters who want to transport their bike easily on buses and trains
- E-folding/folding bike: additional electric drive for mountainous routes
- E-cargo bike: ideal for transporting children as well as large and bulky loads such as the weekly shop
You must provide your own cycle helmets.
Do I have to be working to take part?
No, trainees, students, housewives and househusbands and other groups can also take part. The decisive factor is that you have regular journeys in your everyday life that you currently travel mainly by car.
What obligations do I have?
As a test person, you undertake to share your experiences during and after the campaign by completing a questionnaire immediately after the end of the test phase and a questionnaire two months later.
During the test phase, you are invited to share your experiences with the Danube Office in writing or with pictures/short videos.
You sign a hire contract for the bike and agree to the terms of use.
When does the campaign take place?
The campaign takes place in three rounds, with three to four people taking part in each round. You can apply for the following periods:
- Passage 1: 05 May - 1 June 2025
- Round 2: 14 July - 10 August 2025
- Round 3: 22 September - 19 October 2025
The test period should be as representative as possible of your everyday life (e.g. no longer holidays planned). The Handover of the bicycles takes place in the Week before the test phase; the return takes place in the Week after.
What happens to the results?
Your data will be processed anonymously. The results will be summarised, compared and analysed together with the results of the campaigns in our partner countries in a final report. The report will be available on our website once it has been finalised and will form part of the overall results of the "Active2Public Transport" project.
How can I apply?
You can apply by taking part in the following survey: https://forms.office.com/e/qG31jvr9J4
We will check the applications and get back to you as soon as possible.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Your contact person
Annika Morath
Project management
Project measures
A2PT action plans
Development of an action plan for Active2Public Transport in the Danube region by
- Establishment of a Danube A2PT working group & regional working group
- Analysing carbon intensity and greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector in the Danube region
- Analysis of transport hubs
- Needs analysis for different target groups (quantitative & qualitative analysis)
- Strategy development and action planning
A2PT Toolbox
Providing guidelines for innovative solutions to overcome existing gaps in the multimodal transport system:
- Inventory of innovative A2PT solutions including good practice examples
- Creating the toolbox (online platform)
- Testing and publicising the toolbox
A2PT pilot actions
Demonstrating the effects of better linking active transport with public transport at selected locations in the Danube region:
- Development of A2PT pilot action concepts
- Implementation of the A2PT pilot actions
- Monitoring & evaluation of the results of the pilot action including recommendations for improvements
- Promotion of the A2PT pilot actions
Project goals
A climate-neutral transport sector cannot be achieved simply by replacing conventional vehicles with electric vehicles. Policy measures for passenger transport must focus more on supporting a multimodal shift towards active and public transport. Active forms of mobility such as cycling and walking are the most energy-efficient and the only truly carbon-free modes of transport, especially for short journeys.
By better linking active mobility and public transport, attractive alternatives to the car can also be offered for medium and longer distances. The solutions developed and tested as part of the project will help to close existing gaps in the multimodal transport system and make improvements in the area of linking active mobility and public transport stations. This includes, for example, bicycle parking spaces, bicycle transport on buses and trains or simple onward travel options, e.g. via bike sharing or on foot. The project involves relevant regional stakeholders in the development and testing of solutions and aims to inspire them to focus more on active and sustainable forms of mobility.
Project results
Study on cycle tourism in the Danube region: Combination with public transport plays an important role
We thank the European Cyclists' Federation for the good co-operation!
To the factsheet of the survey
Status quo of A2PT infrastructure and services in the Danube region
Status quo of the A2PT infrastructure and services in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm focus region
Project partner
Danube Office Ulm/Neu-Ulm
Austrian Energy Agency
Burgenland Business Agency
Public Transport Organisation of Bratislava
Danube Competence Centre
Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Railways Private Company Limited by Shares
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Partnership for Urban Mobility
Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration
CTI Hungarian Institute for Transport Sciences and Logistics Non-Profit Ltd.
Germany
Danube Office Ulm/Neu-Ulm
Austria
Austrian Energy Agency
Austria
Burgenland Business Agency
Slovakia
Public Transport Organisation of Bratislava
Serbia
Danube Competence Centre
Hungary
Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurti Railways Private Company Limited by Shares
Croatia
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Czech Republic
Partnership for Urban Mobility
Slovenia
Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
Romania
Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration
Hungary
CTI Hungarian Institute for Transport Sciences and Logistics Non-Profit Ltd
Media library
Partner Meeting in Belgrade
April 2025
The fourth partner meeting in the "Active2Public Transport" project took place from 8-9 April in Belgrade, Serbia. Among other things, the 11 international project partners visited the new central bus station in New Belgrade, which is connected to the train and suburban railway network. The progress of the project and the upcoming pilot actions were also discussed. As part of the visit, the Danube Office also had the opportunity to discuss the current political situation in the country with a representative of the German embassy following the meeting.
Regional working group meeting
March 2025
The second meeting of the regional working group in the "Active2Public Transport" project took place on 20 March. In this context, the Danube Office presented the results of the project to date and discussed how cycling, walking and public transport can be better combined with experts and decision-makers from Ulm, Neu-Ulm and the region in the field of sustainable mobility. In small workshops, the participants contributed their experiences and perspectives on the most important fields of action, available resources and synergies. The working group meeting was also used to network with each other. The Danube Office would like to thank all participants for the lively dialogue and looks forward to the next steps in the project!
Partner Meeting in Ulm
November 2024
Survey on cycle tourism in the Danube region
September 2024
Cyclists asked! Together with the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), the Danube Office conducted a transnational survey on cycle tourism in the Danube region. The aim was to better understand the needs and challenges of cyclists, especially in connection with public transport.
The survey was translated into 14 languages and conducted from 18 September to 23 October in all 9 partner countries - more than 5,000 people took part in total. The results are currently being analysed and summarised in a report that will be available on our website.
Partner meeting in Olomouc
August 2024
The second partner meeting in the "Active2Public Transport" project took place in Olomouc in the Czech Republic from 16-18 July in midsummer temperatures. Together, the project partners discussed the progress and findings of the project to date and discussed the next steps. In the first phase of the project, the main focus was on analysing the status quo with regard to greenhouse gas emissions and carbon intensity in the transport sector as well as political requirements in the project countries. The intensive technical part was then supplemented by a joint cycle tour in the region. There, the partners were not only able to see the well-developed cycle paths and innovative services for themselves, but also test the links with public transport.
Partner Meeting in Vienna
March 2024
The first partner meeting of the Interreg project "Active2Public Transport" took place in Vienna to promote sustainable and active mobility. This innovative project brings together 11 partners from 9 different countries in the Danube region with the common goal of increasing the use of public transport by integrating active forms of mobility and developing sustainable solutions for current and future mobility issues.
After an online kick-off meeting at the beginning of February, the first face-to-face meeting took place from 4 to 6 March in Vienna. The consortium discussed the issues of the project and the implementation of the project activities. The partner meeting was complemented by a practical study visit to Burgenland, where active and sustainable mobility through the region was brought to life.
Picture gallery
