The Challenging the Supply Side Approach: The Example of Road Traffic Congestion in Addis Ababa: the case of Torhayloch – Mexico Street Corridor

Abstract

Road traffic jams remain one of the emblematic problems of cities in developing countries. Traffic congestion management involves improving travel time and reducing delays on public transport. This study aims at investigating whether the recurrent congestion in Addis Ababa along the Torhayloch – Mexico Street corridor is caused by traffic volume exceeding road capacity. The study questions the belief that traffic congestion could be reduced by merely increasing road capacity by relating the nature of congestion along the corridor and challenges the policy direction of the Addis Ababa City Administration. To this end, the study employed a descriptive research design with a quantitative research approach. Both primary and secondary data sources were used to solicit the required data. Primary data were collected in the form of annual average daily traffic. With many parameters available to measure road traffic congestion, volume to capacity ratio was used since it can dictate transportation demand and supply relationship. Findings revealed that the volume-to-capacity ratio of the Torhayloch – Mexico Street corridor was between 0.5 ≤ v/c ≤ 0.8, which indicates that the street corridor is serving below capacity despite being congested for the most part daily. This is suggestive of the other causes of congestion along the Torhayloch – Mexico Street corridor and corresponding measures of intervention to reduce congestion other than building more roads.