€150,000 for Mobility Management   [19.12.19]

New bicycle parking spaces, showers for bicycle commuters, a pedelec test fleet, rental bicycles, or improved bus connections - in the area of mobility management, a lot got rolling on campus last year. And there is no shortage of other short-, medium-, and long-term plans. As part of the idea competition "Mobility concepts for an emission-free campus," the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts honored the University of Hohenheim for its special commitment. With the prize money of 150,000 euros, it wants to advance the implementation of further mobility measures.

 

 

When the state called for the development of mobility concepts for an emission-free campus in 2018 as part of an ideas competition, the University of Hohenheim was already in the starting blocks. As part of its "Master Plan 2030 for Building and Mobility," it was one of the first universities in the state to develop a broad range of short-, medium-, and long-term mobility measures and to coordinate these with stakeholders and exchange partners at various levels. The basis for this was a comprehensive needs assessment in 2015.

"For us, the competition was therefore an opportunity not only to develop ideas further, but above all to tackle concrete measures," said University President Prof. Dr. Stephan Dabbert. "Our experience to date has confirmed that even supposedly small measures are often associated with unexpected hurdles. At the same time, however, we also see that staying power pays off and that a large number of small steps can have a noticeable effect."

In the course of the one-year project period, the University made progress in the following areas, among others:

• Mobility management: A new coordinating body financed from third-party project funds enabled the University to systematically promote mobility measures.

• Bicycle parking spaces: New, high-quality parking facilities with around 400 parking spaces were installed throughout the campus. Old bike racks were partly replaced by higher-quality ones, additional new ones were installed. Further racks are planned.

• Rental bicycles: RegioRadStuttgart stations have started operating on the university campus and in the immediate vicinity.

• Shower and changing facilities: 47 showers at 5 different locations, which were previously used exclusively by individual facilities, are now available for all bicycle commuters.

• Pedelec test fleet: As part of a 4-month campaign in cooperation with the RadKultur Baden-Württemberg initiative, employees and students tried out how a pedelec proves its worth on their daily journey to the campus in almost 800 test drives (18,798 km).

• Bicycle community: A new volunteer bicycle representative ensures networking and contributes the community's perspective when planning further measures. Students and employees showed team spirit, for example with the city cycling campaign: Among 178 teams from Stuttgart, the University of Hohenheim came in 8th.

• Bus connection: The extension of bus line 65 created a direct connection between the campus and the airport as well as the long-distance bus station there for the timetable change on 15 December 2019 - a project for which the University had campaigned with great dedication.

• Avoidance of traffic by living close to campus: The University and the Studierendenwerk worked together to provide affordable and attractive living space for students. In the past year, a total of 305 places in student accommodation were created. Construction of another residence hall will begin in mid-2020 and will accommodate around 120 students.

 

Outlook: Mobility station, parking space management, 30 km/h zone, public transport connection 

The University of Hohenheim wants to use the prize money of € 150,000 to further promote its mobility management and to put as many checkmarks as possible on the to-do list of its master plan in the coming years.

Currently, preparations are underway for a central mobility station on campus with bicycle storage boxes, lockers, a repair station, parking spaces for car sharing, and another station for rental bicycles. In addition, the University hopes for the rapid implementation of a campus-wide speed zone of 30 km/h and supports the state in introducing fee-based parking management on campus.

The course is also being set for a long-term goal for the University: The University of Hohenheim is working towards a new track curve at the Möhringen railway station, which will enable a direct connection between the campus and Stuttgart's main railway station.The project has already found its way into the current local transport development plan of the city of Stuttgart.

 

Background: Idea competition "Mobility concepts for an emission-free campus"

Eleven selected universities in the state had one year to work on new ideas and concepts for how to organize mobility in a climate-friendly and user-centered way as part of the automotive industry strategy dialogue.

The ideas competition took place in two stages:

• Universities that were invited to submit a full proposal received € 200,000 at the start of the project to further substantiate their mobility concepts.

• After a final presentation in October 2019, Science Minister Theresia Bauer honored the five best concepts with prizes totaling € 800,000.

Text: Leonhardmair / Translation: Neudorfer