Since the last update, the Hamburg Living Lab has been actively working to overcome barriers and advance clean, smart mobility solutions.
Launch of the second pilot project for the combined transport of people and goods in Hamburg
© Smart City | DB
Building on the success of the first two-month pilot project for the combined transport of people and goods in Hamburg, MOVE21 launched a second pilot project from 25 March to 31 May 2024. The first pilot, which ended at the end of September 2023, involved transporting purchases from retail stores to a bus stop of the customer’s choice using public buses operated by vhh.mobility. The second pilot incorporated the lessons learned from the first pilot and used MOIA’s on-demand shuttle service. MOIA, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, operates fully electric minibuses and is partially integrated into Hamburg’s public transport system.
In both pilot projects, deliveries were accompanied by additional delivery staff. In the on-demand shuttle pilot, however, deliveries were made directly to the destination address. During the trial period, 153 deliveries were made, approximately 90% of which were made by MOIA shuttles. The remaining deliveries were made by public transport and another on-demand taxi service. To achieve this number, simulated deliveries were included, using data from real inner city courier deliveries from the previous month. The real deliveries were made by two voluntary social welfare organisations, Hanseatic Help and Der Hafen Hilft, which distribute donated clothing and household goods to other social welfare organisations.
The main findings from the on-demand shuttle service were that travel time and costs could be competitive in a future business model. However, waiting times and costs for staff to accompany shipments need to be optimised. Following data review by MOVE21 partners, the City of Hamburg, Smart City | DB and contractor First Mile, interviews will be conducted with service users. A detailed evaluation of the pilot will follow in July and will determine whether a third pilot will be implemented in Hamburg as part of MOVE21.
Opening of micro depot at second neighbourhood hub in Hamburg-Altona
© Bezirksamt Altona
In mid-May, the second modular neighbourhood hub in Hamburg-Altona was completed with the opening of the logistics micro-depot at the Kaltenkircher Platz test site. Unlike the first hub at the Holstenstrasse test site, which was established in an existing vacant building, the second hub is an open space solution, transforming part of a car park into a space for mobility and logistics services. This new hub includes a micro-depot, a bus stop, a multi-user car-sharing station from the city’s multimodal platform HVV Switch, and the necessary bicycle racks. An e-scooter parking area will be added in the coming weeks, along with additional walkways to improve transfers between modes.
The micro depot features a newly developed modular system of lightweight container modules designed to fit into regular parking spaces. MOVE21 partner Smart City | DB is working with the City of Hamburg to develop a tender template for micro-depots so that municipalities or other parties can benefit from the experience and lessons learned by MOVE21 in Hamburg. Workshops with municipalities, logistics companies and experts were held in May and June to explore the potential for replication.
A local cargo bike manufacturer and courier company, which already operates other micro-depots in Hamburg, will use the new micro-depot and is interested in expanding the use of these depots to optimise their delivery structures.