If it seems like the roadways along your daily commute are less congested than they used to be, that may be because they are. That’s the word from Inrix, a company that gathers data on traffic patterns and provides it to customers including radio stations, government agencies, and traffic-enabled GPS devices.

Inrix gets its information from a variety of sources, including sensors imbedded in roadways and GPS devices themselves, which anonymously provide information on their speed, location, and the time of day on which they’re reporting. This helps provide historical information.

And these devices are reporting that most people are making better time at rush hour than they used to, an average of 30 percent less on major roadways in urban areas.

The reason? Spiking gasoline prices get the credit for less congestion during the first half of 2008, when the price for a gallon of gas topped $4.00 and commuters opted for public transportation, carpooling, and other alternatives. As the economy slowed during the second half of the year, layoffs took more drivers off the road. The combined result: fewer people are driving, in general, and those that are on the road are driving shorter distance. The net result is billions fewer miles driven than in years past, and consequently less fuel is being consumed.

That’s the good news and the bad news for commuters.

--Jim Travers