The Twenty-second State of the Nation’s report, based on an analysis conducted in 2011 in 15 Latin American cities, highlighted that Costa Rica suffers from one of the worst mobility patterns in Latin America.
According to the report, the capital of Costa Rica ranks second among Latin American cities in terms of private transport and its cost per kilometer, only surpassed by Buenos Aires.
In per capita terms, San José has more motorcycles than any other city and it is the fifth city with more vehicles,
stated the State of the Nation.
Traffic congestion is more than evident: at rush hours, 60% of people in the Great Metropolitan Area (GAM) go to work and 28% go to schools. Traffic jams are very common in the north central area of San José, Montes de Oca, Tibás, Moravia and La Uruca.
In more compact cities, cars are less used and other ways of transportation are favored, such as cycling or walking,
stated the analysis.
Road closures in the center of the country are seen as irrelevant facts, but they make a huge difference. For example, in Desamparados routes, there are up to 32 bus lines that run on the same route.