Ameliorating Urban Traffic Congestion for Sustainable Transportation

Population, ownership of vehicles and economic growth are increasing at a geometric rate. Invariably, this will lead to an increase in traffic volume and the demand for limited road infrastructures. These has generated a lot of constraint on the few available road infrastructures in most developed and developing nations of the world. One of the consequences of this, is traffic congestion. This arises when the road system approaches vehicle capacity. Although governments and policy makers may never be able to eliminate road congestion, there are several ways cities and states can move to curb it. Hence, this review of literature assessed the myriad effect of traffic congestion, with focus on the economic and environmental impact. Additionally, long and short term measures to reduce the menace in 2030 were evaluated. This was done by assessing the relevant literature on the topic. The outcome of the review revealed that increase in income and living standard favours the ownership of automobiles thereby increasing traffic congestion. Households that reside in areas with compact, mixed land use own fewer vehicles, make fewer vehicle trips, therefore mixed land use should be encouraged in urban development. Additionally, level of Service (LOS) is another factor that affects traffic congestion and traffic crashes. The outcome of this review will aid the government and policy makers on the appropriate tool to adopt and the draw backs in a bid to reduce this menace now and in the foreseeable future.