SolutionsPlus Scale-Up Concept Note: Enhancing E-Kick-Scooter Integration in Public Transport in Hamburg

Summary

The Hamburg scale up concept note examines the potential for shared e kick scooters to support public transport in the outer districts of the city. The document evaluates demonstration results from Lokstedt and Langenhorn, where e scooters were introduced as feeder services to high quality public transport. The findings indicate that shared micro mobility increases the catchment area of public transport stops and generates a measurable, although limited, shift from private car trips toward intermodal travel. The note highlights that the positive effects are likely to grow when visibility, availability, and spatial coverage of the service increase. The study also analyses the challenges associated with scaling up micro mobility systems. These include improper parking, conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists, and lifecycle related environmental burdens. The note summarises evidence from existing research showing that many e scooter trips replace walking and cycling rather than car use, and that the environmental impact of production and servicing can outweigh operational benefits. Regulatory examples from Berlin and Paris are used to illustrate how cities can address oversupply, parking behaviour, data sharing, vehicle distribution, and the durability of shared vehicle fleets. The scale up concept proposes the creation of one hundred additional parking zones for shared e scooters, embedded within the hvv switch network and coordinated with the Department for Transport and Mobility Transition. The plan includes the development of selection criteria for station locations, the integration of no parking zones, stronger regulation of service providers, targeted communication campaigns, and continuous monitoring for adaptive management. The note situates these actions within Hamburg’s broader climate and mobility strategies, which emphasise a shift away from private car use and improved linkage between public transport and shared mobility services.