Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, has been growing rapidly for decades. Like many cities around the world, Addis has expanded to accommodate cars, while simultaneously becoming increasingly hostile to pedestrians. This has resulted in an unsafe environment for the 85% of city residents (approximately 3.2 million residents) who travel by walking, cycling, and public transport. In addition, the growing number of vehicles on the streets emit an annual 1.4 million tons of CO2, half of the city’s emissions.

Fortunately, the city is in the midst of a major shift in transportation priorities, from car-only road building to efficient public transport and high-quality facilities for walking and cycling. ITDP Africa is working with the Addis Ababa Road and Transport Bureau (AARTB), on a major expansion of the city’s BRT system, which would provide safe, equitable, and efficient transport to millions while mitigating the effects of climate change. The city has also seen major improvements to it’s cycling and pedestrian infrastructure as a result of its Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Strategy, developed in partnership with ITDP Africa. With the NMT Strategy, AARTB hopes to support the continued economic growth of the city through common sense solutions that create a safer environment with fewer vehicle crashes.