As the most populous metropolitan area in the Americas, São Paulo is infamous for its traffic, regularly landing on top-ten lists of most hours spent behind the wheel. Despite what seems like unending congestion in the city, there are at least two times of year when residents get some reprieve. The month of July, when I visited the city for survey, is a school break when fewer students are navigating the city and many families leave the city entirely for vacation. Similarly, during the Carnival season that takes place during February and/or March (depending on the date of Easter), less people commute as work hours are reduced or eliminated for some, and some people travel to other parts of Brazil. Both periods can reduce time spent in traffic by as much as half.

Helicopter Taxis and Beltways: Can traffic be mitigated?

The rest of the year, car commuters are still stuck with the usual snarled streets. Some take to the skies, using mobile apps to hail helicopter taxis, while those who live and work close to the limited Metro system, may utilize public transportation to escape the jams of rush hour on the streets above. Other solutions have included reducing the number of vehicles on roads by constructing the Rodoanel Mario Covas, an almost-completed beltway connecting highways outside of the city intended to ease pass-through traffic in the city center.

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