Mexico City's Endless Commute

Every weekday morning between 4 and 7 a.m. the working men and women of Greater Mexico City line up for the vans, subways, and buses that will take them on their long ride into the city.

The megaregion of 21.2 million boasts some of the world’s worst traffic. With average rush hour speeds averaging between 5 and 7 miles per hour according to UN Habitat, getting to work is a job in itself. The report goes on to note that the city’s four central districts with 19 percent of the population generate 53 percent of the jobs. Typically, workers from the State of Mexico surrounding Mexico City will catch a bus that connects them to one of the subway system’s 12 lines. For the unluckiest commuters, yet another bus ride awaits them after a subway jaunt.