Special Report: It takes about the same time to travel 10 blocks from downtown on foot or by car

Two journalists from LA GACETA carried out a test: how long does it take to travel 10 blocks from downtown, in rush hour: at noon. Both made the same route (from Marcos Avellaneda and San Juan, to Plaza Independencia) but with a big difference: he went in a vehicle, she on foot.

The result may be surprising: who was in the vehicle took a little less than 18 minutes; Whoever walked took 20 minutes, only two and a half more than the first. The busy traffic, a mobilization and the lack of coordination of the traffic lights were some of the obstacles that the journalist who was at the wheel had to overcome. Broken tiles, the lack of respect for pedestrians on the corners and even motorcycles parked on the sidewalks were the problems to overcome of who was walking.

Enrique Romero , Undersecretary of Traffic, did not hesitate to issue this diagnosis: “we have a deranged traffic.” He also said that the main cause is Sociedad Agua del Tucumán.

“At the head of that company there is an important asshole,” said the municipal official. He also stated that this company does not communicate what works it is going to do. “They are fools who do not understand that there should be solidarity,” he said.

This chaos translates into fines: “we returned to 14,000 minutes per month,” said Romero. The pandemic had paralyzed displacements a bit, but now they have returned to their peak.

Romero also pointed out that they have just transferred responsibility for the traffic lights, about which many complain because they are not coordinated.

There are numbers that explain this chaos. One of them is that there are 800,000 vehicles that circulate per day in San Miguel. And now there are 6,000 bicycles and even skateboards.

When these trips are made during peak hours (related to classes and business hours), chaos is almost inevitable .

On the other hand, Romero supported the work of the semi-pedestrian: “Germán Alfaro was not wrong in prioritizing that pedestrian”, he said and stressed that there are 300,000 people who circulate through San Miguel.