Smart ways to Antwerp: PIONEERing sustainable commuting

Picture a city where cycling, public transport and shared mobility are integrated. Antwerp is making this happen! Ranked third in the Global Bicycle Cities Index 2022, the city is proving that urban mobility can be transformed through the right initiatives.

Mobility, by its very nature, is never static. Over the past century, cities worldwide have largely prioritised cars and traffic flow in their transport strategies, often at the expense of public transport and other sustainable alternatives. Today, the tide is turning. There’s a recognition that urban mobility must focus on moving people, by offering a diverse range of attractive and green transport options.

Antwerp, a bustling port city in Belgium, is leading the charge with a people-first approach. Faced with the dual challenges of rapid urban growth and the need to maintain accessibility during extensive roadworks, the city launched Smart ways to Antwerp in 2016. What began as a response to temporary disruptions has since evolved into a pillar of the city’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and the regional strategy to promote sustainable commuting.

By encouraging a shift away from private car use, Smart ways to Antwerp has made sustainable mobility the first choice for residents, commuters, and businesses alike, all while reducing congestion. But what has made the programme a lasting success nearly a decade later? And how can other cities learn from Antwerp’s approach?

Antwerp is a city of contrasts. Home to one of Europe’s largest ports, it balances the demands of freight logistics with the needs of its 1.1 million residents (in the Antwerp Transport Region) and growing commuter population. The challenge is to keep the city accessible, liveable, and sustainable amidst rapid growth and infrastructure changes. Through Smart ways to Antwerp, the city is tackling these mobility challenges.

The initiative focuses on behavioural change, using targeted campaigns, clear communication, and multimodal journey planning to encourage residents and commuters to rethink their travel habits. By promoting alternatives to car use, whether cycling, public transport, shared mobility, Park and Rides, walking or a combination, the programme goal is to make sustainable mobility the easy and obvious choice.

However, changing travel behaviours is not as simple as it sounds. People need to know what alternatives exist, how to use them, and what’s in it for them. That’s why a major component of the initiative is its focus on multimodal travel. Recognising that planning a journey across different transport modes can feel overwhelming, Smart ways to Antwerp provides users with tools like a multimodal route planner (desktop and app). This tool shows multimodal route advice and integrates real-time information on public transport, cycling routes, and shared mobility options, but also for example road works and the low-emission zone, making it easier than ever to plan sustainable journeys.

Discover some success stories below.

Antwerp’s mobility transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. While local initiatives like Smart ways to Antwerp focus on changing daily travel behaviors, they are also supported by broader European efforts to drive sustainable innovation. Through collaboration with EU-funded projects, Antwerp can scale up its ambitions, integrating solutions that not only benefit the city but also contribute to Europe’s wider sustainability goals.

One such project is PIONEERS, in which UITP is a partner. Led by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, PIONEERS addresses the challenges European ports face in achieving the European Green Deal’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Alongside Antwerp, the project involves three other ports – Barcelona, Constanța, and Venlo – each serving as living laboratories for innovations in clean energy, digitalisation, sustainable infrastructure, and multimodal logistics.

The project brings together over 40 partners, including terminal operators, private companies, universities, and research centres, collaborating to develop 19 demonstrators – practical, scalable solutions that showcase how ports can transition to greener operations. These demonstrators are designed to be transferable and will be integrated into the Green Port Master Plan, a strategic roadmap to guide ports across Europe and beyond towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

As one of these 19 demonstrators, Smart ways to Antwerp plays an important role in showcasing how cities and ports can facilitate the modal shift. To share these insights, PIONEERS has launched a dedicated training programme covering all demonstrators. The aim is to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge to adopt similar strategies in their own contexts.

Discover all 19 demonstrators here.

Within PIONEERS, Smart ways to Antwerp focuses specifically on the commute of port employees, given the port’s role as both a hub of economic activity and a major congestion point.

To address this, the City of Antwerp and the Port authority as well as the Chamber of Commerce have joined forces with a shared mission: encouraging port employees to switch to sustainable commuting options, particularly cycling. A key initiative is the Bicycle Infrastructure Master Plan, led by Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which is an ambitious plan to make every company in the port safely accessible by bike by 2030. Supporting this goal, the Smart ways to Antwerp programme helps port companies promote cycling through improved infrastructure, incentives, and behavioural change campaigns.

The programme has partnered with 160 employers, reaching over 74,000 employees and fostering a thriving shared mobility market. With nearly 10,000 shared vehicles, including bikes, e-scooters, and cargo bikes, available across the city, the results speak for themselves. Biennial monitoring of modal shifts between 2018 and 2022 shows a significant change: car use has fallen from 49% to 44%, while cycling has risen from 31% to 42%.

While cycling is one of the main priorities, Smart ways to Antwerp goes beyond just bikes. It’s about creating a multimodal mobility ecosystem that integrates cycling, public transport, and shared mobility options. The initiative’s success lies in its ability to unite diverse stakeholders, leverage innovative technologies, and prioritise the needs of people.

By promoting modal shift, Smart ways to Antwerp is helping to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and livable city. And with the support of EU projects like PIONEERS, its impact is set to extend far beyond Antwerp’s borders.

Employers interested in joining the initiative can access expert guidance from experienced accessibility managers. Companies with 20 or more employees benefit from tailored advice and insights into their workforce’s commuting patterns. They also receive practical solutions, including accessibility assessments, personalised travel plans, trial offers for alternative transport options, and strategic partnerships with mobility providers.

Antwerp is showing how multimodal travel is possible, further aligning with the EU’s goals of reducing GHG emissions. With every pedal stroke and every shared ride, Antwerp is portraying that the sustainable mobility is here to stay.

The upcoming training session on this specific demonstrator presents an opportunity to gain deeper insights into Antwerp’s approach to structural solutions for mobility challenges. If your city is facing similar issues and looking to implement modal shift strategies, this training is for you.

Designed for port authorities, local and regional authorities, and mobility professionals, the training will cover the entire process, from engaging with companies and securing their commitment, to overcoming main barriers and implementing solutions. It will also highlight the lessons and focus on the transferability of these strategies, exploring how they can be adapted and applied in different contexts.

This demo training is your chance to learn from one of Europe’s most successful mobility programs. Whether you’re a port authority, city planner, or mobility professional, this training will equip you with the tools and insights to drive sustainable change in your community. 

Register here!

Learn more about Smart ways to Antwerp here.

For further details, contact Steven Windey (Mobility Consultant and Accessibility Manager, Smart Ways to Antwerp) at [email protected] or reach out to the team at [email protected].