Berlin

European region

Western Europe

City size

Large

Pilot objective

Promote safe and efficient routing with the use of cargo bikes in the city to deliver services and goods.

Solutions Tested in Real Life Demonstration

KER12

Congestion Forecasting & Safe Route Planning Tool (CargoConnect)

Pilot Focus

Berlin tested the CargoConnect route planning platform to support safer and more efficient routing with the use of cargo bikes in the city to deliver services and goods. Functionalities of CargoConnect tested during the demonstration include testing safe and efficient bike routes in real conditions, checking if routes avoid barriers, unsafe areas, and poor surfaces, using navigation guidance during actual rides, verifying displayed information and the testing of re-routing when deviating from the route.

Phase 1

CargoConnect was tested by Berlin Recycling, a subsidiary of the Berlin Waste Disposal Company. The company collects old clothes, small electrical devices and other reusable items from households using cargo bikes.

Phase 2

Eight small companies that aimed to change their fleets were selected to trial both cargo bikes and CargoConnect.

What worked

What worked during the demonstration?

No dedicated physical infrastructure was required, making the pilot relatively easy to organise.
No major regulatory barriers were encountered during implementation.
Combining the CargoConnect solution with cargo bike testing increased companies' interest and participation.
Offering free testing together with clear benefits encouraged small companies to participate.
The low-infrastructure nature of the solution facilitated testing with different types of companies and vehicles.

Challenges

What were the challenges and barriers?

Developing a meaningful evaluation methodology proved more difficult than implementing the service itself.
Finding an external implementation partner required more time than expected for phase 1.
Public procurement procedures significantly delayed the hiring of the service provider for the organisation of phase 2.
Coordinating multiple partners and aligning expectations required substantial effort.
Companies were willing to test the service, but requesting extensive data collection was challenging because it required additional working time from participants, while participation in the testing was voluntary.
Building trust with external stakeholders required demonstrating practical benefits rather than simply requesting participation.

Factors to assess for replication & required adaptations

Infrastructure and technical requirements

The tool was tested in Berlin with a relatively simple/low-infrastructure setup.

High replicability

Adapt to the available existing infrastructure, urban form, accessibility requirements, and local technical standards.

Governance and stakeholder readiness

Engagement of Berlin Recycling and small companies was important for testing with real vehicles. Participation may depend on a combination of operational benefits and incentives.

Medium replicability

Identify suitable partners early. Adapt incentives to the local context, e.g. operational benefits, access to vehicles, participation in pilots or data-sharing arrangements.

Evaluation and monitoring

Design evaluation to be simple and user-friendly, using short surveys and limited data collection.

Medium replicability

Align KPIs with local objectives and requirements. Keep surveys short and accessible and comply with local data-protection requirements.

Administrative timing

Implementation timelines depend on administrative processes, approvals and the time needed to engage partners.

Medium replicability

Adapt the timeline to local procurement, approval and administrative procedures. Include sufficient buffer for partner identification, onboarding and approvals.

Key lessons learned

Main takeaways from implementation

Simple pilot designs are easier for cities and operators to implement successfully.
Combining complementary mobility services can significantly improve stakeholder engagement.
Evaluation methods should be designed alongside the tool development and the pilot, and remain proportionate to the objectives.
Public procurement and administrative procedures often require considerably more time than expected.
Early collaboration between cities, solution providers and external partners improves implementation quality and helps align expectations.

Recommendations

Action-oriented advice for future adopters

Start with a simple, low-infrastructure pilot before scaling the solution.
Combine route planning tools with existing mobility programmes or demonstration activities whenever possible.
Keep user evaluations short, digital and focused only on essential information.
Public procurement timelines should be incorporated into the project schedule from the outset.
Involve cities, solution providers and external implementation partners from the beginning to jointly design the service and ensure enough flexibility to address local needs.
Focus discussions on the practical value for users rather than on the technology itself to improve operator participation.