Assessing the Contributions of Urban Light Rail Transit to the Sustainable Development of Addis Ababa

Abstract

Many of the existing urban transport infrastructures in developing African cities are challenged by the mobility demands of their ever-increasing population and increased vehicle capacity. To address these transportation challenges, the Federal government of Ethiopia through the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC) constructed and operates the Addis Ababa light rail transit (AA-LRT). Currently, many other African cities are following in action. This study aims to assess the contributions to sustainable development derived from the services of urban light rail in Addis Ababa. Cross-sectional quantitative research by means of a structured questionnaire survey considering key variables of social, economic, and environmental transport sustainability dimensions was conducted in Addis Ababa. Dimension-wise, the collected data was then analysed in order to measure the contributions made by AA-LRT and to identify the relations amongst each considered variable and each sustainability dimension. The findings of the study indicate a high level of perceived contributions of the economic sustainability dimension as compared to social and environmental sustainability. The study suggests an improved consideration of the environmental and social dimension for a holistic approach to transport sustainability of the city.

A GIS-Based Analysis of the Light Rail Transit Systems in Spain

“…The European Conference of Ministers of Transport has defined light rail as a rail-borne form of transport that can be developed in stages ranging from the modern tram to a rapid transport system operating on its own right of way, be it underground, at ground level, or elevated [15,16]. Ideally, light rail is a form of railway urban transportation system, that is not a heavy traditional form of railways.…”

“…Ideally, light rail is a form of railway urban transportation system, that is not a heavy traditional form of railways. The interest for LRT systems in the whole world has been increased in the last years, and relevant projects have been conceived and therefore analyzed in Europe [15,17], Africa [16,18], Asia [19,20], Australia [21,22] or America [23,24].…”

Social Innovation in Sustainable Urban Development

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“…South America remains a blind spot in our Special Issue. The themes range from smart cities [11][12][13] and heritage [4,14] to policy options for regions in transition [13,[15][16][17]. In my call for papers, I raised five specific questions to which the submitted papers made valuable contributions:…”

Urban Rail Transit in Bangkok: Chronological Development Review and Impact on Residential Property Value

“…A study in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area similarly found that rail transit stations positively impacted population density [16]. The light rail transit in Addis Ababa was perceived to have a high contribution concerning urban sustainability in various dimensions, i.e., economically, socially, and environmentally [17]. The new metro Line 4 in Rio de Janeiro was found to have significantly reduced the vehicle-kilometer traveled (VKT), energy consumption, and carbon emission [18].…”