If you cannot live without your car, Zurich might be the last city you would like to visit. In Zurich, people are welcome, but cars are not! Over the past 20 years, this city has used smart ways to make traffic lighter.
One is to keep the same number of parking spaces. For example, if 50 new parking spaces are built in one part of the city, then 50 old spaces in other parts are taken away for other uses. So the total number does not change. Some are unhappy that there are never enough parking spaces. That is just what the city has in mind: If people find parking more difficult, they will drive less.
Also, the number of cars in the city is counted. Over 3,500 little computers are put under Zurich roads to check the number of cars that come into the city. If the number is higher than the city can deal with, the traffic lights on the roads that enter the city will be kept red. So drivers who are traveling into Zurich have to stop and wait until there are fewer cars in the city.
Now, you may ask why Zurich is doing this. This is simply because the city wants to make more space for its people.
