Suburban mobility pilot challenges urban-centric shared transport models

Source: Zag Daily

Shared mobility services such as bike-sharing have traditionally been designed for dense city centres, where demand is concentrated and distances are short. However, a suburban mobility initiative in Rudersdal, a pre-urban municipality around 20 kilometres north of Copenhagen, is testing whether these services can also play a meaningful role in low-density areas where car dependence remains high.

The Rudersdal project forms part of the EU-funded Horizon Europe programme running from 2023 to 2026. Delivered under the wider pan-European GEMINI initiative and supported by the Capital Region of Denmark, the pilot explores how shared bikes and cars can strengthen public transport accessibility in suburban settings where service frequency drops and private vehicles dominate.

“The more rural you go, the less available public transport becomes,” said Romeo Arianna, Project Lead at the Capital Region of Denmark. “People just hop into their car and commute into the city. That creates traffic, emissions and pressure on the system.”

Mobility hubs and parking infrastructure

In Rudersdal, more than 200 shared e-bikes and 60 shared cars were deployed through partnerships with micromobility operator Dott, car-sharing company GreenMobility A/S and Toyota subsidiary Kinto Danmark, supported by DTU Science Park.

Rather than allowing vehicles to be scattered freely, the project centred on dedicated mobility hubs placed near train stations, bus routes, workplaces and local centres.

“We were very clear that we could not allow bikes randomly lying around,” Arianna said. “Parking infrastructure is key. It is non-negotiable.”

Alongside six physical hubs, more than 250 virtual hubs were introduced, enabling flexible parking zone adjustments based on demand.

Evidence of intermodality with public transport

Over the one-year demonstration period, more than 40,000 shared bike and car trips were recorded. Surveys suggested that around 30 per cent of shared mobility journeys were linked to train or bus travel. Data showed that 74.5 per cent of bike-sharing trips started or ended near public transport stations.

“This was the core assumption we wanted to test,” Arianna said. “Is there really a connection between shared mobility and public transport? At least here, the answer is yes.”

Suburban demand beyond commuting

Trip data revealed that demand in Rudersdal and neighbouring Lyngby was comparable to some central Copenhagen locations, suggesting suburbs can develop their own mobility “centre of gravity.”

Collaboration with major employers proved particularly effective. At DTU Science Park, serving more than 5,000 daily commuters, shared mobility options were quickly adopted. “For them it was free to establish,” Arianna said. “For us, the performance was very high.”

Different shared mobility services also served distinct travel needs. Shared bikes were mainly used for local trips, while free-floating e-car sharing supported commuting into Copenhagen. Station-based car sharing was more suited to longer weekend or business journeys.

From pilot to regional expansion

All three operators chose to remain in Rudersdal after the pilot phase.

Regional authorities are now exploring a standardised network of mobility hubs that could operate across municipal boundaries.

“The industry always looks at scale,” Arianna said. “If you offer a regional approach, both sides are happier in the end.”