Implemented in the Helsinki metropolitan area, the Last Mile project brought together citizens, local authorities, universities, research institutions, and mobility and tourism companies. The goal? To find smarter, easier and more sustainable ways of getting around. It trialled new approaches to developing and testing market-driven, public-private mobility services to: increase the attractiveness of public transport; find innovative ways of commuting; generate business from mobility solutions; cut car use and promote a low-carbon economy.
- 05 July 2020
The project aims to improve the mobility of residents, employees and domestic and international visitors in the Helsinki metropolitan area, complementing the existing transport system. The target is to find new market-driven, intelligent mobility solutions and services for companies in the travel and service industry so that they can include such solutions in their offers.
Last Mile identified the mobility needs of different target groups and looked to meet them by piloting 21 solutions to improve accessibility in and around the Finnish capital, including the cities of Espoo and Vantaa. These included sea and land transport sharing, a new bike rental concept, audio and digital guided routes, peer-to-peer sea transport rental services, regional mobility and parking solutions, and on-demand mobility services.
The findings of the pilots were shared with cities and companies in Finland and abroad to complement existing public transport and enhance smart and sustainable mobility.
Solving transport challenges
Although the Helsinki metropolitan area has a well-functioning public transport system, recreation spots, tourist attractions and new work and residential areas can be hard to reach without a car. These challenges can prevent companies from expanding. Providing sustainable transport all the way to final destinations, including through use of intelligent transport systems, could therefore unlock huge economic potential.
Well-designed trials in appropriate areas can accelerate development of smart solutions. Before the pilots were launched, studies were conducted to highlight the needs of potential partner companies and transport users to ascertain the level of demand for various services. In addition, focus areas and target groups were carefully defined, and challenges identified and discussed.
Testing grounds
Solutions were piloted in several areas, each with specific characteristics. Situated on the south-western edge of central Helsinki, facing the open sea, Jätkäsaari is a new residential area with a busy port and needs to mitigate congestion, emissions and other harmful effects of traffic. At Nuuksio National Park, the goal was to find smart methods for encouraging people to come visit without their cars, organising traffic and parking, and providing real-time information on local services.
Along the Rantaraitti coastal hiking and cycling route, the aim was to pinpoint ways of improving the accessibility of the coastline and urban archipelago. At the Aviapolis airport city in Vantaa, traffic mainly comprises private cars with low occupancy rates, so the target there was to identify commuting methods to complement public transport and reduce the impact of car use. For Vantaa airport, meanwhile, solutions were developed to ensure smooth journeys for tourists wanting to visit local attractions and services in the city.
Market-driven smart mobility
The pilots have generated new information on requirements and possibilities for market-driven deployment of smart urban mobility services, including in small-scale markets. Last Mile gathered this information onto a development platform for service providers so they understand user and business needs before starting work on new products. The project is publishing a guide for running successful mobility trials.
Last Mile is one of the projects within the Six City Strategy, under which the six largest cities in Finland – Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku and Oulu – and other partners share information and experiences to build trust and tackle common urbanisation challenges.
Launched in 2014, the strategy has created a network consisting of hundreds of experts. Its projects allow companies to test products and services in urban environments and get feedback from users so they can make improvements.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “The Last Mile” is EUR 1 858 238, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 245 019 through the “Sustainable growth and jobs” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Producing and using the latest knowledge”.