Smart roads.

Commuters around the country are benefiting from the use of "intelligent transportation systems" that keep traffic moving through bottlenecks and advise drivers of less congested routes. Since 1980, the mileage vehicles have traveled on U.S. roads has jumped nearly 90 percent while new road miles have increased by less than 5 percent. Traffic congestion, in 2003, resulted in 2.3 billion gallons of wasted fuel and cost Americans nearly $65 billion. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, the average commuter spends more than a workweek--47 wasted hours--in gridlock every year. Highway officials are using computers to adjust stoplight cycles, the Internet to give drivers real-time traffic updates, and sensors to determine whether bridges are icing up. Other technology solutions include: electronic toll booths that let drivers pay without stopping, computerized message boards that alert drivers to traffic jams ahead, and sensors in pavement and cameras at intersections to monitor and improve traffic flow.