Facing long hours of
traffic to get to work, school, and leisure is a common routine for most Brazilians living in large cities. There are nine
Brazilian municipalities that make up the ranking of the
highest congestion indexes in the world: São Paulo, Recife, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Brasília — according to data from the Traffic Index 2023, conducted by the navigation company TomTom with 55 countries.
The excess of cars on the streets is undoubtedly the main reason for the increase in traffic levels in recent years. However, metropolises around the world show that the issue is much more complex: factors such as
urban planning, land-use policies, and investment in public transportation directly influence congestion and, consequently, the
quality of life of residents.
According to Ângela Seixas Pilotto, Architect and Urban Planner from FAU-USP, the root of the problem lies in
auto-centric development. "We have a model of space production that is directed towards cars. This practice consists of producing infrastructures, signage, and services that prioritize automobiles. But the fact is that space is limited, while cars occupy a significant area to transport, at most, five people," she explains in an interview with CASACOR.
Paradox of Expanded Roadways
First came the streetcars, then came cars, motorcycles, buses, and
subways. When the streets began to seem small, proposals for
new lanes, new corridors, and new overpasses were introduced. But why do expansion measures never seem sufficient to "unclog" traffic in cities like São Paulo, Recife, and Curitiba?
"What we have is a
paradox: the more you open space for cars, the more congestion we have. An extreme example of this is
Los Angeles, where we see huge freeways and all of them always congested. This is because cars are not only a more comfortable and safe way of circulation; they are also a
status symbol," points out Pilotto.
The specialist draws attention to the various measures that, despite the congested streets, act as incentives for car use. Among them, the exemptions to the automotive industry and the ease of parking for free in public areas — in addition to the low availability and the precariousness of public transportation services in many regions. "And if the places occupied by parked cars were transformed into bus corridors, or even green areas? There would certainly be resistance from the population; it's a constant battle for space." Concentration of Employment in Large Cities
Despite this, it is not only the excess of cars that is responsible for congestion in cities. Another reason pointed out by Angela Pilotto is the
concentration of services in specific areas. In other words, there is a pattern in the location of offices, commerce, services, and industries. Thus, workers who cannot, or even do not want to, bear the cost of living in these regions
must make daily "pendular movements" in relation to their homes.
As an example,
São Paulo, the
largest concentrations of employment occupy the Center and the Southeast, including Faria Lima and Berrini avenues, as well as some opportunities in Barueri, Santana do Parnaíba, and ABC Paulista. Meanwhile, there is a
high population density in the outskirts of the city — with low coverage of public transportation networks. In this sense, the urban planner compares São Paulo to Mexico City. Currently, the Brazilian city offers 104 km of subway for its 22 million inhabitants, while the Mexican capital has 220 km for the same population size.
International Examples — But With Caution!
Mexico City is just one example of how
public policies can contribute to reducing traffic in large cities. In addition to it, Pilotto mentions
Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona as good references in urbanism. These are cities that have higher rates of travel by public transportation than by car, among other measures.
In particular, the French capital has been adopting a
series of actions to reduce car use. The project is based on the idea of a "
15-minute city", where most daily needs of a resident (such as health, leisure, commerce, and even work) are accessible by foot or by bike within 15 minutes from home.
However, the specialist notes: "These references have been widely used, but we have to look at them with
care. In this sense, it is important to consider the
conditions of economic, political, and social development of these
European cities, which are different from ours."
After all, is investment in public transportation sufficient to reduce traffic?
It depends. According to the professor from FAU-USP, urban planners have different views on the subject. While some argue that expanding public transportation, as well as improving the services offered and reducing ticket prices, would lead different social classes to drive less, others advocate for
more radical measures, such as penalties for using automobiles. "The vehicle rotation system in São Paulo is already a form of penalization, but there is also discussion about
reducing parking areas on the streets, higher charges, and urban tolls, which is practiced in London, for example."
"These are measures that can make users opt for public transportation. But at the same time, they can have a
perverse effect on low-income families that need to reach the central regions of cities, for example," concludes Ângela Pilotto. It is worth concluding that complex issues such as mobility in large cities require
even more complex solutions — conceived by urban planners with inspirations from international references but adapted to the
individual characteristics of each metropolis. [abril-veja-tambem]W3siaWQiOjIxMDAyMiwidGl0bGUiOiJLb25namlhbiBZdSBlIGFzIGNpZGFkZXMtZXNwb25qYTogdW0gbGVnYWRvIHBhcmEgY2lkYWRlcyByZXNpbGllbnRlcyJ9LHsiaWQiOjIwNjc3MCwidGl0bGUiOiJBcyA3IG1lbGhvcmVzIGNpZGFkZXMgcGFyYSBwZWRhbGFyIG5vIEJyYXNpbCEifSx7ImlkIjoyMTA1NzgsInRpdGxlIjoiQWwmI3hFOTttIGRhIFRvcnJlIEVpZmZlbDogMTAgcG9udG9zIGFycXVpdGV0JiN4RjQ7bmljb3MgcGFyYSB2aXNpdGFyIGR1cmFudGUgYSBQRlcifV0=
