The city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, makes part of Greater Sao Paulo, which consists of an urban agglomerate of 39 cities and a population of about 21 million. As in any major city in the world, it has disadvantages and some advantages. The main disadvantage of metropolitan Sao Paulo, where I live, stems from its big size and a population of about 11.2 million inhabitants. Because of the great number of motor vehicles, estimated at 8 million, traffic almost halts to a stop in streets and highways on working weekdays. The rotating transit policy helps to lessen the traffic congestion, and air pollution, in the downtown area and rush hours. The situation worsens when it rains, since motorists must drive more carefully, and hence slower, to avoid accidents.
