The first snowfall in Moscow this week has brought local traffic to a standstill. At rush hour the total length of traffic jams in the city has now reached a record 800 kilometres, which is more than the distance between Moscow and St Petersburg.

However, those trying to escape the gridlock on the roads by using public transport face similar problems underground. During rush hour, moving – let alone breathing – in Moscow's metro can be a struggle.

With ever-lasting traffic jams, many of Moscow’s 3.5 million drivers hitting the city’s roads every morning are forced to spend hours at wheel. The first snow has added even more woe to the city drivers.

Moscow has long expanded beyond its historical centre with dormitory suburbs with their own infrastructure and jobs. Still, many have to go to the centre for work and entertainment.

“We have a car, but we almost never use it because of the traffic jams. It's also quite costly. It is much cheaper and faster to move by metro,” said one of the regular metro commuters.
 
While more than 200,000 cars are added to Moscow's roads every year – the city's underground railway system is a model of speed and efficiency. Built in 1935, it is the world's second most heavily used rapid-transit system.

During the Second World War Muscovites used the metro as a shelter, and around 200 babies were born underground as a result of those days of turmoil. 

The Moscow metro is significantly cheaper than its European counterparts. It may, however, become a victim of its own success. The number of people who use it daily is nearing 10 million, while additional metro stations have not gone beyond the planning stage.

Many await radical changes to Moscow's transport systems and looking to other countries' experiences could help.

“I heard that in America – in New York for example, they’ve created drivers' clubs. Its members go by the club's car to a certain place, drop off the car passengers there, and then change to another car. It's very convenient as it cuts the total number of cars going downtown,” said another regular metro passenger.

Faced with the problem of grid-locked roads, Moscow authorities have put forward several proposals. These include a ban on cars older than seven years, VIP trains with wide cinema screens and even helicopter taxis. Unfortunately, widening the current roads and building new ones seem to be the only viable short term solutions so far.

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