Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the roundtable „Future Mobility and ITS in Japan and Hamburg“.
In 2008, we added up the total distance the people of Hamburg travelled in one day. The result: around 60 million kilometers.
In 2018 – within only ten years – the distance has gone up to 70 million kilometers a day.
That is a big step of 10 million kilometers per day.
One reason for this growing traffic in Hamburg is the trend of urbanization. A lot of people are drawn into the big cities because they are attractive centers for business, science and culture.
Hamburg grows each year by about 15 to 20 thousand inhabitants which is the equivalent of a typical small-size German city.
To ensure that everyone in Hamburg arrives at their destination safely, comfortably and on time, we increase the range of the public mobility services every year.
We are expanding our metro system and aim to complete more than 50 kilometers of new lines by 2035.
In addition, we have built more than 200 kilometers of new bicycle paths and routes.
About two-thirds of all distances travelled in Hamburg are covered by foot, bicycle, bus or rail. We intend to increase this share significantly in the next decade.
However, this alone will not be enough if we wish to meet the demands of growing traffic and changing mobility habits.
That is why we decided to make Hamburg a model city for Future Mobility. This includes, for instance, a test track for self-driving cars, digital and networked traffic control as well as digital coordinated construction sites.
For the 2021 ITS World Congress in Hamburg, we are involved in over 60 projects in which next-generation mobility solutions are integrated and tested on our streets - in real traffic.
Future Mobility is efficient and digitally networked – but also clean and quiet. It is our goal for Hamburg to lead the way in the transition to sustainable driving systems.
Hamburg is already a capital of e-mobility:
- with a metropolitan train system that is powered by 100 % renewable energy,
- with a bus fleet, that has an increasing number of zero emission vehicles, and
- with the largest network of e-charging stations in all of Germany.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Growing traffic is a challenge for cities all over the world. Whenever I talk to the mayors of other cities – whether from Chicago, Paris, Vienna or Zurich - mobility is always a key topic.
I am delighted that today Hamburg and Tokyo will exchange thoughts and experiences about new and innovative mobility concepts.
With more than 38 million inhabitants, the Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan region in the world. Over that, Tokyo hosted the ITS World Congress 2013.
So, I am looking forward to a mutual exchange of experiences between our cities and I would like to extend a warm invitation to representatives of the city of Tokyo, to visit Hamburg for the ITS World Congress 2021.
But for now, I wish you all an interesting time at the Future Mobility roundtable today.
Thank you very much.