The ten cities with America’s worst traffic jams

The good news first: If you think you're commute isn't as bad as it was six years ago, you're probably right, according to an annual study that attempts to measure how long Americans spend stuck in traffic.

And...that's about it for the good news.

The bad news? Traffic tie-ups will grow in the next few years, and with them the cost to motorists in lost time and wasted fuel — especially around the nation's largest cities with the worst delays.

The annual report by the Texas Transportation Institute draws from a network of sensors that measure traffic speeds on most major roadways across the nation every 15 minutes. That data shows while backups aren't as bad as they were in 2007 before the national recession, they still cost $121 billion a year, and waste enough gasoline to fill the New Orleans Superdome. For the typical rush-hour commuter, those backups take 38 hours a year — nearly a week of work or vacation — and require planning 60 minutes to complete a trip that takes 20 minutes in light traffic.