Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires ("Good Airs" in Spanish, originally meaning "Fair Winds") is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in South America. Buenos Aires is located on the southern shore of the River Plate, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent, opposite Montevideo, Uruguay. Buenos Aires is located at {{coor dm|34|40|S|58|24|W|}} (-34.667, -58.40).

Transportation

Buenos Aires used to be relatively congestion-free for a city of its size. Toll freeways opened in the late 1970s by then-mayor Osvaldo Cacciatore provided fast access to the downtown area, increasing the number of cars coming into the city. In parallel, the streets of the downtown financial district (roughly one square kilometer in size) were declared off-limits to private cars during daytime.

Related Topics:
Freeway - 1970s - Osvaldo Cacciatore

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Following the economic mini-boom of the 1990s, more people started commuting by car, and congestion increased. Most major avenues are gridlocked at peak hours, and congestion also results from people driving from and to weekends in the country.

Related Topics:
Economic mini-boom of the 1990s - Commuting - Gridlock

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A majority of commuters use public transportation. An original Buenos Aires invention is the colectivo (a small bus built out of a truck chassis and sitting 21 to 27). Renovation of the fleet is severely lagging, and colectivos are now decried as old, noisy and polluting. The diferenciales (differential-rate buses) have better sitting arrangements and air conditioning, which is a major advantage during the summer.

Related Topics:
Public transportation - Colectivo - Polluting

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Buenos Aires has an extensive subway network, known as the subte (short for subterráneo "underground"). Also, all of Argentina's extensive railway network converges on Buenos Aires. Commuter trains are popular with suburbanites, but some lines have serious crime issues.

Related Topics:
Subway - Subte - Railway

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Black-and-yellow taxis roam the streets at all hours. Some of these are unlicensed (controls are not fully enforced), so visitors are advised to phone a reputable radio-link company and avoid hailing taxis on the street. Limousine services, known as remises, have become more popular in the last few years.

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The Buenos Aires international airport, Ministro Pistarini International Airport, is located in the suburb of Ezeiza and is often called simply "Ezeiza". The Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport, located within city limits near the riverbank, serves mostly domestic traffic.

Related Topics:
Ministro Pistarini International Airport - Aeroparque Jorge Newbery

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