SMILE24 – Schlei Mobility: innovative, rural, emissions-free and 24/7
Climate-neutral mobility in a rural, sparsely populated but seasonally highly frequented tourist region – without having to own a car: SMILE24 breaks fresh ground and provides the most comprehensive integrated public transport in rural areas in GER.
About this Project
People who live in very rural areas and want to be mobile generally have no attractive alternative to owning a car. They are excluded from good mobility services and thus from participation.
This is because the status quo of buses results in long, unattractive routes to link sparsely populated villages together.
Combined with only few connections at night or on the weekend, public transportation is only used by those who have no alternative.
The SMILE24 project proposal wanted to show that there is another way.
The project was allocated funds via the federal government’s call for funding and, in January 2023, the project team began its work on implementing the vision of integrated everyday mobility for the public.
Key Highlights
The extensive expansion of the existing local transport services makes it possible around the clock for residents and tourists to get from every A to every B in the SMILE24 region.
The project uses all modes of transport according to their best functionality and combines them in one app, which creates an integrated travel chain:
- Electric express and tourist bus lines link the regional centers of Schleswig, Eckernförde and Kappeln
- A comprehensive electric, fully accessible on-demand ridepooling service is available 24/7 to link very rural places to train and bus services
- There is a significantly expanded bike sharing service – also in rural areas (50 sharing stations with 275 bikes) and electric car sharing cars at 12 sharing stations
Facts & Figures
- The improvement and integration of the local transport in the SMILE24 region has caused a significant increase in demand; compared to the time before the introduction of the Deutschlandticket (nationwide mobility flatrate) in 2023, the number of passengers has increased by 50%.
- The on-demand ridepooling journeys were well used right from the start, and there are now more than 4,500 journeys per week. In the case of bike sharing, there are 500 rentals per week in summer and 200 in winter.
- Good local transport is also a benefit for the local economy, as employees can get to work without the need to own a car. The number of job ticket subscriptions from companies in the SMILE24 region has more than quintupled in the first year of operation.
