A national study confirms what many Twin Cities commuters already know -- they're spending more time stuck in traffic. The study out of the Texas Transportation Institute estimates the average Twin Cities commuter spent 53 hours tied up in traffic jams in 2001, the most recent year with available figures. Among the 75 urban areas studied, the Twin Cities ranks second for the pace at which congestion is worsening. The study suggests metro areas with larger mass transit systems have lower levels of congestion. Tim HENK-uhl is the program manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Metro District. He says the report verifies the need for a more diversified long-term approach to transit.