Improving the transportation system in Baghdad city

Abstract

Baghdad has suffered from lack of new major infrastructure in transportation sector for many decades, compounded by a huge increase in the number of roads user. This has led to problems with out-of-date networks causing congested roads and pavement exceeding its design life, increasing travel time with negative effects on users, the economy, and the environment due to increased emission rates and massive fuel consumption. Accordingly, this study seeks to develop a sustainable transportation system to handle a large number of users with minimum effect on the environment to promote economic achievement. Based on the literature, a rail transportation system emerged is the most sustainable system, and such a system is thus proposed for Baghdad, with suggested route and station positions designed to ensure efficient interactions with the current road network. To assess the proposed system, the city was divided into fifteen zones, eight zones on the east side and seven on the west side, and travel times between zones were calculated using GIS software both with and without application of the proposed system. The results revealed that considerable savings in travel time between most zones with the system. Furthermore, the proposed system would change the land use adjacent to access points (stations), boosting investment in housing and encouraging people to leave the overcrowded city centre.