Busy traffic a growing problem

With the bellowing winds of winter blowing and people less willing to walk or bike, I've noticed a massive increase in the amount of time it takes to travel via taxi in Beijing. The change in pace has given me much time to observe Beijing's rising traffic culture.

On Tuesday, the Beijing traffic management bureau released the lastest statistics showing that nearly 2,100 new cars were registered in Beijing every day, almost triple the reported 750 per day that was the rate a few years ago. And it shows.

The cars that clog the ring roads shine as though they were driven off the dealership lots. They all look new. There is no beat up 1989 Ford Taurus contending for space with barely operational early 90s Mercury Grand Marqius, a common site on the streets of Anywhere, USA. Instead, there's shimmering black Audis trudging side by side with the stop-and-go rhythm of ring road traffic, a true sign of the city's prosperity.