Report: Traffic congestion eased in ?07

Report: Traffic congestion eased in Æ07    Although it may not appear that way to commuters, traffic congestion actually improved in 2007 as high fuel prices forced motorists to change their driving habits, according to an annual report on urban mobility by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).
   The report reinforces Department of Transportation statistics that show a decline in vehicle-miles traveled in late 2007 and beyond.
   TTI researchers said travelers spent one hour less stuck in traffic in 2007 and wasted one gallon less gasoline than the year before.
Traffic volume during peak hours in metropolitan areas had consistently grown for the past quarter-century until the second half of 2007 when fuel prices began to rise.
   'This is a very small change,” said researcher David Schrank. “No one should expect to be driving the speed limit on their way to work because of this.” The average traveler still needs 25 percent more time for daily commutes.
   More improvement is expected in next year's report on 2008 as fuel prices that year shot up even further to more than $4 a gallon and people had fewer jobs to go to or cut back discretionary driving in the face of the recession.
   The TTI cautioned that the trend of worsening congestion from more freight shipments and commuters would return as soon as the economy recovers.
   Researchers calculated that the wasted fuel and lost productivity cost the U.S. economy $87.2 billion — more than $750 per traveler — and that the amount of wasted fuel exceeded 2.8 billion gallons.
   Among their suggestions to improve the situation are:
   ' Maximize utilization of the existing road system through technology and policy changes.
   ' Add roadway and transit capacity in places where it is needed most.
   ' Provide more choices such as toll lanes to speed travel.