The Most Important A2PT Themes
The most important A2PT themes highlight key areas, priorities, challenges, and opportunities. Collecting and categorizing these topics ensures clarity and easier access for the Toolbox users. However, the topics are naturally overlapping a little bit between each other but adding them to the toolbox makes the knowledge practical, structured, and ready to use, supporting collaboration and guiding future planning and decision-making.
Why Active2Public Transport?
Europe will not achieve a climate-neutral transport sector simply by replacing conventional vehicles by electric cars. Policy measures for passenger transport need to have a stronger focus on supporting a multimodal shift towards active and public transport (APT). Cycling and walking are the most efficient and the only truly carbon-free means of transport especially on short distances. By better linking APT it will be possible to even provide attractive alternatives for car trips on medium and longer distances. Solutions developed and tested in the project will help to overcome the existing gaps of the multimodal transport system and will include all forms of active travel to any public transport (PT) station. This includes parking, bike carriage while riding bus or train or getting away from the PT station e.g. by bike sharing.
Why is the Toolbox needed?
Creating a unique A2PT online toolbox is essential for bridging common gaps in multimodal active and public transport (APT) systems. Many cities and regions face similar challenges in integrating cycling, walking, and public transport into a seamless network. This toolbox will provide practical guidance for implementing innovative solutions, helping stakeholders learn from successful case studies and pilot actions across the Danube region.
By showcasing state-of-the-art approaches and real-world experiences, the A2PT toolbox will support decision-makers, planners, and mobility experts in scaling up effective strategies. It will serve as a go-to resource for best practices, design principles, and expert contacts, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange to create more connected, sustainable transport networks.
With the A2PT Toolbox decision makers, planers, experts in the field of sustainable transport are offered a curated inventory of possible solutions to improve A2PT infrastructure and services in the Danube region.
Who tested the Toolbox?
The first organisations taking up the toolbox will be the representatives of the project partners as well as from the associated strategic partners. Having been involved in the development and the testing of the toolbox from the very beginning, they had the opportunity to bring in their requests for improvement in order to reflect their specific requirements and needs.
Secondly, a broad range of other relevant stakeholders from the identified target groups taking part in the testing of selected solutions included in the toolbox (O3.1-O3.7) as well as the toolbox itself (O2.1) will use the toolbox for taking more reflected decisions overcoming their traditionally narrow, unimodal and often car-oriented focus of tackling existing challenges.
Providing clear information, maps, online route planning, booking system, and mobile apps makes it easier for users to combine active and public transport. These tools improve journey planning, reduce uncertainty, support multi-modal trips, and encourage sustainable, convenient, and user-friendly mobility.
In case if you want to know more about Information to Users & Maps (Online and Offline), Online Route Planning & Booking or Mobile Apps.
Providing fair and attractive pricing is essential to make sustainable mobility more appealing. Integrated ticketing, flexible fare systems, and supportive funding schemes help travellers combine public transport with cycling or walking easily, affordably, and with greater convenience.
Providing suitable vehicles and managing capacity is key to connecting active and public transport modes. Buses, trams, and trains designed with space for bikes and easy boarding help travelers combine cycling with public transport, creating seamless, sustainable, and inclusive mobility networks.
Providing sufficient bike parking and sharing options at public transport hubs creates seamless connections between cycling and public transport. It encourages sustainable mobility, reduces car use, and makes daily commuting more convenient, efficient, and environmentally friendly.
Campaigns and promotions encourage daily commuters to combine active and public transport by highlighting safe routes, convenient services, and clear benefits. Public awareness-raising helps people understand and trust multimodal travel, while strong partnerships between transport providers, cities, and communities ensure a seamless, user-friendly system that makes sustainable mobility practical and attractive.
Providing accessible public transport hubs is one of the key to linking active and public transportation. Well-designed, inclusive hubs make it easier to switch between walking, cycling, and transit, encouraging sustainable travel, reducing congestion and emissions, and ensuring mobility for everyone in the community.
Efficient integration of active and public transport relies on accurate data to understand travel patterns and to optimize the connections between the two modes, ensuring that infrastructure, services, and funding strategies are targeted effectively, improving user experience, increasing ridership, and supporting long-term financial and environmental sustainability.
Providing services at stations and on board—such as secure bike parking, rental options, luggage storage, and clear information— supports active mobility by making first- and last-mile connections easier, safer, and more convenient, encouraging more people to combine walking, or cycling with public transport.
Providing an inviting catchment area around public transport stations is crucial because it encourages people to combine public transport with active modes like walking and cycling. Well-designed, safe, and accessible surroundings make it easier and more attractive for commuters to reach stations without relying on cars, increasing public transport usage, reducing congestion, and promoting healthier, more sustainable travel habits.
The project Active2Public Transport is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union. The project was initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), Department II/6 in cooperation with klimaaktiv mobil – the Austrian Federal climate protection initiative on sustainable mobility.