WASHINGTON - July 8 - American commuters are wasting 4.2 billion hours, nearly an entire work week per commuter, stuck in traffic. 

According to data released on Wednesday, traffic congestion also wastes 2.8 billion gallons of gas, which costs consumers $87.2 billion.

The Urban Mobility Report, produced by the Texas Transportation Institute, also points to investment in public transportation as an important solution for congestion, showing that drivers would have suffered 646 million more hours of road delays were it not for public transportation. 

"Traffic congestion is like a tax that we all pay, sapping our time and money," said John Krieger, Federal Transportation Policy Analyst for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.   "American commuters need better alternatives, particularly more and better public transportation.  Each full bus can get fifty cars off the road; each full rail car would remove hundreds more."

Recent trends show that more and more Americans are riding public transportation to avoid traffic congestion and high gas prices.  Public transportation ridership has increased nearly 40 percent nationwide since 1995, and according to a Brookings Institution study, 2007 was the first year that per-capita driving miles declined.

"For decades, government has tried to fight traffic congestion by building more and wider roads, which just increases congestion at choke points. This report is further evidence of the folly of that approach," said Krieger.

"We need to prioritize expanding bus and rail systems that reduce the number of drivers on the road. Doing so will address congestion problems that are crippling our metro areas and will reduce our nation's dependence on dirty fossil fuels," Krieger added.

Congress is scheduled to address funding for transportation priorities this summer before the current six-year federal transportation bill expires.

Through its nationwide Transportation Solutions campaign, U.S. PIRG is working for more and better transit by encouraging public support for new projects and improved service.