We're spending less time, money sitting in traffic?

If you drive a car to work, unless you live in the Washington, D.C. area, you're probably feeling pretty good about your commute. According to a study released today by the Texas Transportation Institute, the average driver is spending less time each year in rush-hour traffic jams -- 36.1 hours per year in 2007, compared to 36.6 in 2006 and 37.4 hours, a record, in 2005. Wasted fuel declined, too, to 2.81 billion gallons (from 2.85 billion in 2006).

Los Angeles and Washington D.C. top the list of worst-traffic commutes, even though LA's traffic declined, from 72 to 70; whereas Washington, D.C. went up to 62 hours from 59. In my hometown, Portland, Ore., the wait times went down but are still over the national average, at 37, down from 38 the previous year.