How can cities turn public transport experiments into solutions that can be applied elsewhere? OPTI-UP has published three final thematic solutions that transform lessons from six project areas into practical guidance for cities, public transport authorities, operators and mobility planners across Central Europe.
Throughout the OPTI-UP project, six cities have tested different approaches to improving public transport: Modena and Grosuplje focused on demand-responsive transport (DRT), Paks and Osijek on public transport network optimisation, and Pécs and Český Krumlov on the use of alternative-fuel vehicles.
The newly published final thematic solutions take the project one step further. Rather than simply documenting what happened in the pilot areas, they consolidate the knowledge gained through data-driven planning, transport modelling, pilot implementation, user feedback and stakeholder consultations into approaches that can be transferred and adapted to other cities.
Three challenges, three practical solutions
The first solution focuses on Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT). Drawing on experiences from Modena and Grosuplje, it provides guidance on when, where and how DRT can be introduced or improved. It addresses challenges such as low-demand services, inefficient vehicle use, driver shortages and the need to better connect areas that are difficult to serve efficiently through conventional public transport.
The second solution addresses public transport network optimisation. Based on the experiences of Paks and Osijek, it shows how cities can use data, transport modelling and local knowledge to improve connectivity and network efficiency. The approach supports cities in identifying missing connections, analysing demand and developing services that make better use of existing public transport capacity.
The third solution focuses on alternative-fuel public transport vehicles. Building on the pilots in Pécs and Český Krumlov, it provides guidance for transitioning from conventional buses towards electric vehicles while considering route demand, vehicle utilisation, operational requirements and charging needs. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of public transport without compromising service efficiency.
From choosing a solution to scaling it up
Although each document addresses a different public transport challenge, all three follow the same structured approach.
They begin by helping cities understand whether a particular solution is appropriate for their local context and which implementation variant may be most relevant. The next phase covers planning: collecting data, developing or updating transport models, testing scenarios, defining the final solution and establishing Key Performance Indicators.
The guidance then moves into implementation, including continuous monitoring, evaluation against baseline and target values, stakeholder feedback and, finally, planning for long-term sustainability, replication and scaling.
This structure is designed to make the results useful beyond the original pilot cities. Instead of prescribing one universal model, the solutions provide decision criteria, data requirements, implementation steps, roles, expected inputs and outputs, and practical lessons from the pilots that cities can adapt to their own circumstances.
Turning OPTI-UP experience into knowledge other cities can use
The publication of the three thematic solutions represents an important step in transferring OPTI-UP’s work beyond its six project areas. Together, they show how public transport improvements can move from identifying a local problem to analysing it with data, testing potential interventions, implementing a solution and measuring whether it works.
This reflects OPTI-UP’s wider objective: helping small and medium-sized cities make public transport planning more evidence-based, efficient and sustainable, while providing approaches that can be adapted to different local conditions across Central Europe.
Explore the three newly published OPTI-UP final solutions: