Assesment Of An Accessible Pedestrian Walkway In Adama Town The Case Of Aba Geda Area

Abstract

The urban transport systems in Africa‟s cities and urban centers suffer from poor allocation of financial resources, lack of regulatory frameworks, institutional weaknesses, inefficient public transport systems, poor allocation of road space and inadequate traffic management systems. The today‟s urban mobility challenge in Ethiopian cities is to arrive at balanced provision of traffic infrastructure for both Motorized transport traffic and pedestrian transport traffic. The road infrastructures within CBD of Adama town were majorly designed for Motorized transport giving little attention to pedestrian transport. Extreme increases in the number of vehicles have strained urban road networks, resulting in congestion for most of the day. Pedestrian transport generates no air pollution, no greenhouse gases, and little noise and air pollution; they are efficient and environmentally sustainable means of making short trips in urban centers. This study seeked to assess current levels and challenges of pedestrian walkways in Adama down town area that can be addressed by exploring the effective pedestrian planning and development alternatives with physical infrastructural intervention that can be introduced to promote the sustainable pedestrian walkways in the study site. The research methodology involved the review of literature, primary and secondary data collection, data analysis, interpretation, successive proposal and recommendations to address urban pedestrain mobility challenges and to promote pedestrian transport in the Down Town area of Adama. The study targeted a population of 60 pedestrians. The primary data was sourced by administering questionnaire, interviewing and photography. Secondary data were collected from the review of published materials, government reports and internet. The Microsoft Excel & Word, AutoCAD and GIS software‟s were the main computer packages used for data analysis. The study found that there exist the high pedestrians and pedestrian‟s traffic congestion, lack of pedestrians promotion programs and lack of pedestrians infrastructures which has led to unsustainable urban mobility and development within study area. The study proposed and recommended that pedestrians should be encouraged and promoted within the frame work of sustainable transport development due to its health, transportation, economic, quality of life and environmental benefits. From the study it can be concluded that integration of pedestrians transport and motorized transport will enhance the modernization of sustainable urban transport.