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.
Project partner
Project acronym
Project code
EU funding programme
Lead partner
Project duration
Total budget
more information
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
Danube Cycling Tourist Survey 2024
Factsheet on the Danube Cycling Tourist Survey 2024
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
Report on the needs of hiking tourists in the Danube region
Report on pedestrian friendliness at public transport stations in the Ulm/Neu-Ulm focus region
Factsheet on the investigation of pedestrian friendliness at selected public transport stations
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
Regional working group meeting
March 2026
The third meeting of the regional working group in the Active2Public Transport (A2PT) project took place on 24 March. Representatives from administration, interest groups, politics and transport companies from Ulm, Neu-Ulm and the region once again exchanged views on better linking cycling, walking and public transport. The focus was on the results of the pilot campaign „Mobil ohne Auto: 4 Wochen Rad und ÖPNV entdecken!“, the preview of the new A2PT online toolbox and the development of a regional position paper as an impulse for decision-makers. The Danube Office would like to thank everyone for their commitment and valuable input - dialogue across different levels and specialist areas remains key to creating seamless travel chains and strengthening sustainable mobility in the region.
Partner Meeting in Bucharest
February 2026
At the start of the final project phase, the partners in the Active2Public Transport (A2PT) project came together from 24-26 February in wintry Bucharest. The focus was also on the implementation and experiences from the seven pilot actions in nine countries in the Danube region - such as the improved linking of hiking tourism with public transport in Hungary.
The partners also worked on the long-term results of the project - the resulting A2PT online toolbox as a practical guide for policy-makers, administrations and infrastructure companies, as well as the transnational A2PT Policy Brief and the regional A2PT Action Plans as an impulse and inspiration for decision-makers.
Finally, on-site visits to Parcul Liniei and the LaculMorii promenade showed in concrete terms how infrastructure can support multimodal mobility.
Pilot campaign “Mobile without a car: discover 4 weeks of cycling and public transport!”
December 2025
As part of the „Active2Public Transport“ project, the Danube Office successfully completed the pilot programme “Mobile without a car: 4 weeks of cycling and public transport discovery!”. A total of 13 participants from Ulm, Neu-Ulm and the region gave up their cars for four weeks between May and October and instead travelled by bike, on foot and by public transport.
The test subjects' experiences were systematically recorded using questionnaires and will be analysed in detail in the coming weeks.
The personal impressions already show that behavioural change is possible if the infrastructure and framework conditions are right. At the same time, it became clear that improvements are needed in many areas in order to remain sustainable - especially in rural areas.
Partner Meeting in Bratislava & Sopron
September 2025
The partners of the project met from 9-11 September. Active2Public Transport (A2PT) in Bratislava and Sopron for the fifth partner meeting. The meeting focussed on the exchange of information on the ongoing pilot actions, the further development of the digital A2PT toolbox and the planning of regional action plans for sustainable mobility in the Danube region.
The partners were also given an insight into the new bicycle transport options on the cross-border bus connection between Bratislava and Hainburg and learnt how hiking tourism can be successfully combined with public transport using the example of the Hungarian "Blue Country Tour" (Kéktúra).
A2PT at the Ulm World Week
July 2025
On 5 July, the Danube Office Ulm/Neu-Ulm provided information about the project as part of the biennial "Ulm Environment Week" Active2Public Transport (A2PT). In an interactive survey, visitors were able to indicate what motivates them most to use a bike, bus or train - safe routes, better connections and affordable tickets were mentioned most often.
Alternative mobility solutions were also presented at the stand: Folding bikes could be tested in a "speed challenge", an e-cargo bike could be tried out and new ideas for combining cycling and public transport could be discovered. The event was very well received and led to many conversations.
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.
Picture gallery
