In 2008 the results will be ready from a study about the dependence of Mexicans in 50 urban areas on their cars. The unprecedented study will define indicators for tracking the issue and suggest strategies to reduce reliance on automobiles. Reduced car use, more walking and greater use of public transportation are the goals motivating the research, Salomón González, an expert with the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), told Tierramérica.

The survey began in 2006 and the initial findings indicate that Mexico's biggest cities, like the capital, are not the ones with greatest dependence on cars, it's the middle-sized cities bordering the United States where residents rely most heavily on their automobiles.

In Mexico, there are some 15.5 million individual cars in circulation, and the annual growth rate is more than triple the country's population growth of 1.44 percent.