The environmental impact however is much more complicated. The recent Climate Conference in Copenhagen yielded no firm global agreed results, but then this was expected. The entire environmental movement is too caught up in concrete targets to aim for a proper solution.

Serious investment in new technology is rapidly needed to limit the impact of commuter traffic on the environment and the city's health. This is a long-term investment however and unlikely to yield quick results.

The traffic problem is on the way to a solution, but until the measures yield results, the sometimes-crowded subway seems the obvious choice.