Mexico City traffic gridlock amid protests and rain

Eleven simultaneous demonstrations marched through seven boroughs of Mexico City on a rainy Wednesday, slashing average vehicle speeds on the city’s main corridors to about 12 km/h. The combined effect of the protests and continuous precipitation caused travel times to increase by up to 200 % in the morning, with major arteries such as Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida de los Insurgentes and Calzada de Tlalpan heavily congested.

The Mexico City Metro experienced reduced service on Line 7 and parts of Line 12, and passenger queues at stations lengthened, leading to wait times of up to 15 minutes. Heavy surface runoff created 14 severe flooding points on primary roads, though no earthquakes were reported and air‑quality levels remained within acceptable ranges. The “Hoy No Circula” program restricted certain vehicles, and the Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana deployed 450 traffic‑control officers and 30 cranes to manage diversions via the Circuito Interior, the Anillo Periférico and the Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas.