“Mobipunten”: transnational cooperation on its best!

On 7th of September, Mpact and Autodelen.net launched the idea of “mobipunten” in Flanders Region. These mobility hubs provide tailor made opportunities for sustainable (and shared) mobility. The inspiration came directly from the Share North project as project partners city of Bremen and city of Bergen are already experimenting with this concept.

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“Mobipünkten, mobipunkter, mobipunten, …” = shared mobility opportunities

A “mobihub” (Mobipunt in Dutch) is a transport hub based at a neighborhood level where different types of sustainable and shared transport modes are available. In Bremen they call it a “mobilpünkte” and in Bergen it is a “mobilpunkt”. A mobihub can have multiple functions but some are essential. To install a mobihub for example, it is necessary to have at least some carsharing parking spots and a bike park. Furthermore the hub should be near a public transport stop and easily accessible for everyone. So it’s important to take into account mobility issues such as wheelchair friendly and the safety aspects (for instance making sure it’s neat and well lit)

The main goal is to provide and promote local multi modal transport opportunities. To be truly effective, a city (or village) should have a network of several mobility points. In order to integrate these hubs into route planners we suggest that every mobility point has its own name which clearly refers to the neighborhood in which it is located.

More than (shared) mobility

As you can imagine the most important functions of a mobility point are about mobility options. Apart from the essential elements it’s wise to consider other modes such as carpool (ridesharing) parking, taxi opportunities, bikesharing,

A mobihub is about more than just mobility. Autodelen.net and Mpact wrote a white paper on the best possible mobility points. We also worked together with an artist who managed to capture our ideas as a nice illustration. In a perfect world a mobility point would also provide a meeting place for neighbors, a little neighborhood store, a locker to deliver packages or store a bike helmet away while using a shared car

Tailor-made

A mobihub can be organised everywhere. It is possible to install one in a neighborhood but they can also be applied to business parks or near to a shopping centre. The bottom line is that it is adapted to the needs of a specific situation. In a business park for instance it is important to have sufficient carpool options and maybe a bikesharing system for easy travel from the mobility point to the office.

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We love international cooperation!

Mpact and Autodelen.net visited the sites of mobility points in the city of Bergen and Bremen during the current Interreg North Sea Region Share North project. Furthermore we organised an internal workshop with all nine project partners. This turned out to be very interesting and useful. Together we fine-tuned the concept with ideas such as public toilets, safety considerations, highchairs for shared cars, bicycle pumps, … With this information Autodelen.net and Mpact launched the idea on 7th of September in a national newspaper. Several local governments contacted us immediately showing a keen interest in installing a mobility point in their city. This is a good start to integrate the concept into Flemish legislation but as we love the transnational transfer of knowhow, we dream of integrating it into the whole North Sea Region and beyond!

Full doc Mobihubs.

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