Addis Ababa, home to 5 million people, or 25 percent of Ethiopia’s urban population, is among the fastest-growing urban areas in the world (World Population Review, 2021; World Bank, 2015). Urban mobility has become inefficient in Addis Ababa due to insufficient public transport service, poor traffic management, and prioritisation of cars rather than people in the design of streets. The number of private vehicles in the city is rapidly increasing, contributing to worsening congestion, loss of the public realm, air pollution, and traffic fatalities. To tackle these challenges, Addis Ababa needs to invest in efficient, sustainable mobility, including high-quality public transport systems and streets that are safe for active mobility.

Cycling is a sustainable non-motorised mode of transport that can offer low-cost, pollution-free mobility. Cycles occupy minimal street space—only around one-tenth of the space occupied by a car. Cycling on a segregated track is often faster than using a private motor vehicle, particularly for short- to medium-distance trips. In order to encourage more people to cycle and make cycling accessible to women, Addis Ababa needs a complete and interconnected network of safe bicycle routes.

The Addis Ababa Transport Bureau (AATB), in partnership with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), aims to identify and implement a network of coherent, continuous, convenient, direct, safe, attractive, accessible, and comfortable cycle facilities. This study examines the existing cycling environment in Addis Ababa and proposes a phased implementation plan to build out a high-quality cycle network over the short, medium, and long terms. The study aligned with the Addis Ababa Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) Strategy, which calls for a 200 km cycle network. The resulting network of low-stress bikeways will welcome users of all sexes, ages, and abilities.